Selfless to the End
by My Universe
Summary: In Season One, Bill has to go to a tribunal for staking Longshadow to save Sookie.  What if the Magister had required Sookie to attend the tribunal in Season One?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Story starts towards the end of Season 1 when Eric, Pam, and Chow show up at Merlotte's before leaving for the tribunal that was called due to Bill staking Longshadow to save Sookie. In this story, Bill was not visited at his home by the three vampires. They found him and Sookie at Merlotte's. Eric will be a combo SVM/True Blood hybrid character as will Sookie (albeit maybe a little smarter).

A small section of the below is from the show (which I don't own), but this will be the only time that happens.

This is my first FanFic so please review and be honest but constructive. I have ideas to keep me going for several chapters but only if I get enough interest. So, review, review, and review.

Disclaimer: Its all CH, AB, and HBO. I own nothing. I'm just playing with their toys.

* * *

Silence – and I'm not talking about the four voids in my head representing my Bill and the three other vampires that had just walked through the door. I'm talking about the absolute silence that followed their entrance into Merlotte's. You could hear a pin drop as the Bon Temp residents took in the sight of Eric, Pam, and Chow in their Fangtasia attire.

"Great." I muttered it under my breath but of course the vampires heard. That earned me a smirk from Eric as he walked over to where I was standing by Bill's booth.

"Ms. Stackhouse. Bill. I need to talk to both of you outside." He stated with a nod towards Bill before he walked back out the door.

"Rude" I stated with disdain without bothering to lower my voice.

"Sookie." Bill chastised me as he stood up. "Let's go see what he wants so that it's over with."

"Bill. If you and Eric haven't noticed, I'm working. He'll have to wait until my break."

"If we don't go out there he'll just cause trouble."

"Ugh. Fine. Let me tell Sam that I'll be right back."

Of course Sam had been watching and he was not happy about Eric wanting to speak with me or about the other two vampires that were passing out flyers around the bar, but he agreed with Bill that I might as well get it over with.

Pam and Chow followed us out into the parking lot where Eric was waiting – not patiently I might add.

"We need to leave for a tribunal." Eric started without preamble as I noticed Bill stiffen slightly beside me. "You can't be that surprised Bill. You staked another vampire. You knew there would be consequences."

"I take it that it couldn't be avoided then." Bill asked.

"I wouldn't know. I didn't try." Eric said dryly.

"But he did it to save me. Which he wouldn't have needed to do in the first place if you didn't 'require my skills.'" I argued.

"No matter." Eric was trying to brush me off.

"Great response. That will be my reply the next time you ask for my help."

"Sookie. It will be fine." Bill started to try to calm me down.

"Oh really Bill. Like when you told me last night that this was all over and done with and everything was fine?" I argued back.

"I didn't say there wouldn't be consequences. Just that everything would be fine. I'll be back soon." Bill was still trying to soothe me.

"She's coming too." Eric interrupted our scene smoothly as both Bill and I whipped our head in his direction.

"NO!" Bill stated angrily as if there would be no argument. But I had a sinking suspicion that neither of us had any say in the matter.

"Yes." Eric responded smoothly. "The magister stated that we were to bring the human that you staked a vampire to save."

"He just wants her there to take her for her telepathy!" Bill was incensed.

"Even if that were true, it wouldn't matter. However, I didn't even include it in the report. As far as he knows, she's just your pet. I suggest we keep it that way if at all possible."

"Why does he want me there then?" I was angry myself but seeing as how I couldn't really fight off three vampires I figured I might as well find out what I was heading into.

"I don't know. I've never known a tribunal to include humans but we haven't needed one in my area since the revelation. Now, we must leave. We are due back in Shreveport in an hour." Eric responded as he turned to open the door of an SUV.

"Wait!" I called. "You mean now? I'm working."

"Not anymore." Eric's response was accompanied with one of his icy glares indicating there would be no compromise.

"Fine." Sighing I turned towards the bar. "I'll get my purse and tell Sam I have to leave."

* * *

Obviously Sam wasn't happy and he was worried but he couldn't fight off three vampires either. The ride to Shreveport was relatively quiet except for some type of foreign music that would have been soothing if I wasn't so anxious. Bill tried to talk to me a couple of times to calm me down but I was past that. I was mad at him, mad at Eric, mad at everyone, and just hoping that I had a slight chance of making it through the night alive.

As we pulled into a junkyard, I was wondering if there was some secret hidden building entrance along the way. But as we turned in between two large walls of junk I saw dozens of vampires perched along the wreckage. On a flatbed truck, there was an older vampire (meaning older looking – I have no idea how long he'd been undead). He was sitting in a chair playing with a walking stick. Just looking at him made my insides clench and the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

It was while I was appraising this sinister character that I knew I would not leave the junkyard unscathed.

Before we got out of the SVU, Eric addressed me.

"Sookie. If you want any chance of making it out of here alive, don't talk and don't react. Control you emotions and reveal nothing unless you are directly asked. No one here will be able to save you if the Magister decides your fate. Everyone answers to him and he's stronger than all of us."

What could I say? He'd basically said, "Welcome to our court system Sookie. You may die here if you screw up. No appeals. Sorry"

Nothing. There was nothing I could say or do. So I just nodded (well and glared at him).

Eric led us to the left side of the man with the walking stick, whom I came to understand was the Magister. As we walked over to the grouping of vampires, most of them started hissing and staring at me like a person lost in the desert for days would look at a glass of water.

"Quiet down!" The magister spoke softly but his command was followed without delay. This was a man they all feared. "We'll get to them in a minute. Back to the matters at hand."

On the ground in front of the magister was a vampire on his knees chained in silver. There was blood pouring from his mouth where one of his fangs had been removed. The Magister started talking about how starving for three months without his fangs should teach him not to feed on another vampire's pet. At his command, another vampire went to pull out the remaining fang. I started to turn around but Eric, who was standing to my left, grabbed my shoulder and held me still. He also gave me a quick glare to remind me of what he said in the car about not reacting and calling attention to myself. I took a deep breath and stared forward.

I decide to look past what was going on in front of me and just try to "zone out." During this time I accidentally let my shields fall. I barely stifled a gasp. There was another human in the junkyard. It seemed like she was confined somewhere in a small place. She was praying and pleading in her mind.

"_Please God. I'll do anything. I was walking home from church you know I'm a good girl. Please help me and let me go home to my momma and daddy and little sister. I'll go to church everyday if you want. I'll become a nun. Please don't let them hurt me. Oh god, what do they want with me. What if they kill me? I wanted to have kids. . . " _

I was really close to crying. She was only 17 and she was scared out of her mind. I had to take a deep breath and raise my shields. I couldn't keep a stoic exterior and keep myself alive if I kept listening to her. There wasn't anything I could think of to do for her anyway. I was just a human surrounded by supernatural beings that could crush me like a bug.

The Magister had finished with the pet feeder and was looking at some computer thing in his hand.

"Moving on. This looks interesting." The Magister continued in a bored voice. "Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area Five."

"Magister." Eric stepped forward.

"Well then, bring me your murderer." The Magister directed and Bill was pushed forward into the area in front of him.

"So, tell me Mr. Compton. What made you think that you could murder one of your own kind?"

"Magister. Longshadow attacked my human. He was choking the girl. He would have killed her." Bill explained confidently.

"So, you murdered a higher life form for the sake of your pet!" The Magister said angrily. "You've broken an ancient and fundamental law. You decreased our numbers at a critical time in our history. Very bad. Very, Very bad."

I was really struggling to bite my tongue. Higher life form! As if!

"Magister." Bill's tone made it clear to me that he was losing his cool. "Longshadow broke the law first. She was mine and he knew it. He would have killed her and fed from her." Normally, I would have been offended that everyone was talking about me in front of me. But right now – right now I'd love to just fade into the scenery. I knew there was nothing I could do for Bill even if I said anything. I'd probably make it worse.

"Hello! HUMAN! Irrelevant. Happens everyday." The Magister interrupted Bill's argument. Oh Bill, you better pick a different tactic.

"He was stealing from Eric." Bill's declaration this time did get a little bit of a response from the judge as he raised his eyebrow in Eric's direction for confirmation.

"Sherriff?"

"Yes Magister. It's true." Eric answered. This seemed to make a little bit of a difference and I started to feel a little smidgen of hopefulness. "Longshadow was a thief and a liar. He was hurting my business."

The Magister sat back and contemplated. "The business part . . . that is a serious offense."

Bill seemed to see his chance and took it. "And it was the human who exposed Longshadow. Would you tell him Eric?" Bill seemed to be agitated with Eric for not helping him more. I was agitated for getting brought back into the conversation. I was hoping to be forgotten. Sure I was worried about Bill. I loved him but what good would my love do if I were dead.

"The only reason the girl was there was because I called her." Eric replied.

"To protect your wealth." Bill stated.

"Yes. To protect my wealth." Eric explained. "Magister. The girl is . . . valuable."

"Humans exist to serve us. That is their only value." Ugh. I wanted to gag at the Magister's words.

"There are those among us that think differently." Oh shit Bill. Even I know you shouldn't have said that.

Now the Magister was pissed. "Do you question my authority? I am the Magister. I was trained in the Inquisition." Yep, knew he was scary. "And I am the adjudicator for every vampire territory in North America. As the humans say – the humans you love – more than your own kind. BACK YOUR SHIT DOWN!"

Bill looked like he was going to say something but Eric interrupted him. "Bill." That one word was a command.

Bill responded and took a step back after glancing at Eric.

The Magister surveyed Eric and Bill. "Well, you haven't bored me. That works in your favor. And you seem to be obedient to your Sherriff."

Eric looked a little put out at Bill too and responded, "For the most part." This had Bill looking at Eric incredulously. Then Eric continued to address the Magister after a slight pause. "When it matters, yes he is."

After the Magister considered, he stated. "The usual sentence is 5 years in a coffin chained in silver. During which time your body will waste to leather and sticks. You'll probably go insane. However," the Magister paused menacingly, "I'm feeling a bit . . . creative."

The Magister motioned to a car and it was backed up into the open spot and closer to Bill. After the car was in position, the old man continued.

"You have no nest and prefer to consort with humans. You seem to have lost all sense of our priorities." Again, a dramatic pause. I really wish he'd get on with it already. "William Compton, you owe us a life."

With the Magister's declaration, the car trunk opened and the teenager, Jessica, emerged. She was distraught and I was trying to whole down my dinner while my stomach twisted in knots as I realized what Bill was going to be made to do. This was insanity and it was tragic.

The girl was thrown at Bill's feet as she continued to plead to God and cry.

"NO!" Bill stated, "No. Put me in the coffin. I'll take that punishment."

"Please Lord Jesus. Please save me. I'll do anything." Then she turned towards the Magister. "Please, I'm a good girl. I go to church and choir group. Just let me go home to Momma and Daddy …Please. I won't tell anyone."

While she pleaded for her life, I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my eyes. She was terrified and she was only a little girl. Looking at her, I couldn't help but feel guilty. Sure, I didn't stake Longshadow, but he was staked to save me. I would be dead if Longshadow hadn't been staked. This girl was going to lose her life, her ability to get married, grow old, and have children because my life was spared. Was my life worth this price? The price of her future?

It seemed that the Magister believed in an eye for an eye – or a life for a life in this case. So, I was going to be forced to watch this little innocent girl lose all her hopes and dreams for the future. This was the price for my life. It wasn't a fair trade. She could get married, have kids, and have a normal life. I would never have a normal life. I have _never_ had a normal life. I've come to accept that the moment I met Bill Compton I was forever intertwined with the supernatural. I could run, but I knew they would find me.

I wish I could talk to my Gran for just a minute. My heart and my conscience were fighting a war against my self-preservation instincts. One screaming at me to do whatever I had to in order to save this girl because she was here, in part, because of me. The other part of me was _screaming_ at me to keep my mouth shut.

I was interrupted from my internal debate by the Magister's low mocking laugh. "There's no hope for you now child." And then he pointed towards Bill. "Meet your Maker."

Jessica moved towards Bill and started begging again. "Please, please . . . I don't want to die."

Again the Magister was unmoved and the girl started repeating the Lord's Prayer over and over again. My heart was breaking for her. She had so many people she was thinking of going through her mind. With my emotional distress, I couldn't keep my shields up. She wanted to be a teacher, she had a crush on a boy named Ted, her little sister played piano, she wanted to have kids and live in Texas with a ranch and horses.

Her thoughts were making my guilt worse and worse. She had so many people who would mourn her. She had a bright future and so much to give. I only had my brother and a few friends that I loved but they all had problems of their own and hated the path I'd chosen when I started dating Bill. I didn't have any real prospects for a "bright" future. No husband. No children.

Every day . . . every day I will have to look in the mirror and know that Jessica lost her human life because of me. Oh my God! She would be staying with Bill. I'd have to look her in the eye and watch her mourn her life while I knew that I was partly to blame. How could I live with myself?

The Magister interrupted my thoughts again. "According to our records, you've never been a Maker. Is that right?"

"Yes"

"But you are familiar with the process?"

"Yes"

"Well then, continue."

Bill stayed still for a moment staring at the girl. How could I watch this? How could I sleep at night? Why was my life worth more than hers?

It wasn't.

"Wait! There's an alternative." I stated strongly while stepping forward, but before I could say another word Eric had pulled me back into his chest, wrapped an arm around my stomach, and covered my mouth with his other hand.

"Ah," the Magister stated, "the pet."

"I apologize Magister." Eric stated apologetically, "she has not been his pet very long and he has yet to train her well."

"Hmmm. Well, let's see what other entertainment you have for me. Remove your hand." I felt Eric's body stiffen behind me at the command but he slowly complied. He pulled his hand away from my mouth but kept me held to his body. "Human. What makes you think I care to hear your alternative? I could just feed you to the crowd."

"Yes sir. I'm positive you could. However, I'm only trying to help. The girl is only seventeen and has a lot of acquaintances. If she were to live with Bill so close to home, someone would recognize her. This could cause problems for the local vampire movement since she is underage for being turned."

"Like I care." He stated in a bored voice.

I glanced at Jessica again and she was staring at me. Her eyes were full of tears. They were pleading with me and they started to shine with hope that I could get her out of this mess.

That look of hope is what killed me. Literally.

"What good will she be? She's young, cowardly, and inexperienced in everything life has to offer. She will add nothing to your numbers but another cold body that will probably not survive a year." I closed my eyes for one second as I steeled myself with a deep breath. "Agree to let her go . . . and I'll take her place."

"NO!" Bill roared. Behind me, Eric's arm that was still around me tightened almost to the point of pain as I heard him quietly gasp at my offer.

"Quiet Compton!" The Magister admonished and then turned to study me inquisitively. "Just because I find this slightly less boring than most nights, why would you be a better alternative?"

"Because I'm older and more experienced. Because I'm used to surviving in a world that fears me and alienates me. Because I'm used to keeping secrets and deceiving others. Because I'm agreeing to be turned willingly. And because I'm a telepath." Yes, now I really had his attention.

"Sookie," Bill pleaded softly but I ignored him. I'd chosen my path and there was no going back. The most I could hope for is the girl's life to be spared.

"And let's be honest." I continued as if I hadn't been interrupted. "How long is it going to be before someone abducts me, kills me, or turns me anyway? At least this way, I'm a willing participant and you don't have a newborn trying to meet the sun."

The Magister reclined back studying me. "And why would I make a deal with you? Why not turn you both or turn you and kill the girl."

I shrugged. "Why cause yourself the work? Sure, you could hide her or come up with some cover story but why bother. In a small town like hers, humans take the disappearance of a child extremely serious. TV appearances, newspapers, FBI hunts, and the like. Why not just glamour her and send her home? You still get a life for a life and you're saved the work of a cover-up or possible public backlash if she's found."

The Magister laughed slightly again. "I don't make deals with humans." My heart sunk. "But I guess you won't be human much longer." My emotions were so far past reason that I wasn't sure if I should be happy or relieved or terrified. "Fine. The girl will go home and you will take her place."

"No. Magister she doesn't know what she's doing and besides we don't know if her telepathy will survive the change!" Bill stated emphatically.

"I've known a telepath that was changed and it was retained. Have no worry. Now," and again the Magister turned towards me with a slight grin. I didn't trust it. Not at all. "Shall I choose your Maker."

Oh my god! I didn't see that coming.

"WHAT? She is mine!" Now Bill was incensed and roaring at the Magister as he stepped forward. That is NOT good. One of the other vampires moved to restrain him.

"Compton. You are already in enough trouble. Try my patience again and you'll meet a stake." Bill relaxed in the hold of the other vampire and turned his eyes towards me. He looked calculating and resigned at the same time. "This tribunal is to punish you Compton. Do you really think I'd let you be rewarded by being the Maker for your telepathic pet?" the Magister sneered.

Looking back towards where I stood, still being restrained by Eric I might add, the Magister tilted his head to the side regarding us both. "So, who should I entrust a newborn telepathic vampire with . . . Hmmm . . . Sherriff?" Now it was my turn to stiffen. I hadn't seen this turn of events. "She lives in your area. You've been a good maker to the child that I see still standing by your side and you're strong enough to fight off any other vampires who would try to steal her. If you want her, she's yours. Otherwise, I'll choose someone from the crowd."

Okay. Now the crowd was rambunctious and several were volunteering. I'd surveyed the crowd earlier when I arrived and I was truly terrified now. What if Eric says no? What type of sadistic vampire could I be stuck with for eternity? When I volunteered, I at least felt some comfort that Bill would be my Maker.

Very quickly I took stock of the last five minutes of my life.

Five minutes ago, I agreed to be turned by my boyfriend to save a seventeen-year-old stranger. Three minutes ago I learned that said boyfriend could not be my maker but I would still be turned. One minute ago I was frightened that Eric would be my Maker. Now? Now, I'm praying to GOD that he says yes.

* * *

A/N: Please review and let me know if you're interested in the story and want me to continue.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and adding me to your alerts. I've never written a fanfic before and your encouragement will keep me going. I'm blown away by the responses I've received. I have a lot of plans and will keep writing as long as you're interested.

As always, I don't own anything. CH, AB, and HBO make the money. I just like to play with their toys.

* * *

My body was experiencing a level of fear that I didn't know was possible. All types of gruesome scenarios were rattling around in my brain showing me the ways a Maker could make my undead life unbearable. I was starting to doubt how much longer I would be able to keep up my false mask of calm.

It felt like an eternity had passed since the Magister offered me up to Eric, but in reality it had only been a few seconds. Finally, Eric voiced his answer.

"Magister. I do not wish to have a child that does not want me as their Maker. They take up more time than they're worth, regardless of their talents, and their loyalty is always suspect. I have not lived a thousand years by making children that turn on their Makers if given the chance." I felt like I'd been gut punched. Eric was going to leave me for the wolves to fight over. "So, I will accept this Human as my child, but I want to hear her agree to have me as her Maker first."

I wasn't sure if I believed all of Eric's speech. Part of me thought that he just wanted to hear me say I wanted him. Or perhaps he thought my rising terror was directed at the thought that HE might be my Maker. Regardless though, he was a much better choice than the alternative of the unknown. Gran always told me to stick with the devil you know over the devil you don't know. I may have only been in Eric's company three times, but I hadn't really seen him be cruel during those times - just stoic, intimidating, and egotistical. Besides, he seemed to have a good relationship with Pam.

The Magister raised an eyebrow at me. I guess that was my queue. I tried to speak as confidently as I could but I think it was more like a whisper. "I accept Eric as my Maker." Eric instantly tightened his grip again and his whole essence seemed to exude a feeling of triumph. Well, at least someone was happy. Ugh!

"Finally, we can move on. Sherriff, you may begin"

As Eric began to respond, Bill requested to speak again by calling everyone's attention back to him. "Magister."

Honestly, so much had happened in the past few minutes that I'd forgotten all about him. Fleetingly, I began to realize what this new development would mean for my relationship with my first love, but I batted the thought away to think about later. A girl can only handle so much.

Then, I caught Bill's gaze momentarily before he continued to address the judge. The look on his face was hard to decipher. Guilt? Regret? Loss? Finally settling on what looked like determination maybe? He then spared a quick look of pure hatred for Eric before turning back to the matters at hand. "I am duty bound to inform you that the Queen intends to make Sookie her child. As her Sherriff, Northman should defer to her." What? What Queen? We don't have Queens?

"WHAT!" Eric roared at him. Apparently I wasn't the only one suffering from confusion.

"Enough." Again, the Magister spoke softly and controlled everyone with one bored word. How old is this guy that he causes everyone to cower? "Compton. Explain."

He sighs slightly and begins to explain in a soft, resigned voice with his head slightly bowed. "My job for the Queen of Louisiana is as a Procurer. My most recent assignment involved moving to Bon Temps and confirming the talents of a telepath that she had learned of from one of her pets. If the talents where confirmed, then I was to get her accustomed to vampires and eventually deliver her to the Queen where she would be turned as her child."

My knees started to buckle and tears ran down my eyes as my heart broke into a thousand pieces. Only Eric's arm, which was still wrapped around my waist, kept me from falling to the ground. It was all a lie. Everything. Every touch, every laugh, every smile. I had saved his life. I had given him my virginity. I had told him my darkest secrets. He was the first man I had trusted in my life and he didn't even really want me. I was just an assignment. Oh my god! GRAN! If he had never come to Bon Temps, then I wouldn't have been targeted and she would still be alive. It was HIS fault. Him and his _Queen_.

If the feeling of my heart breaking caused my knees to buckle, then the thought of Gran's death brought a tidal wave of rage that pushed adrenaline through my veins and caused all rational thought to leave my body as I tried to lunge at Bill. I hardly moved before Eric had me pinned against his body again but I continued to kick and flail my arms. "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE. I HATE YOU. YOU. . "

Before I could say anything else, my screaming was cutoff when Eric's hand covered my mouth. As I continued to fight, he leaned down and whispered in my ear so softly that I could barely hear it. "Calm down Sookie. You can do nothing here. I promise you though that you'll get your chance." His voice was so low that I don't think even Pam could hear him and she was standing right behind him. However, even with the low volume, I could hear that the Viking was barely containing his own anger. I turned my head slightly to look him in the eye. His rage was evident in the hard set of his jaw but as we briefly locked eyes I thought I could also see a slight indication of something else. Concern?

Regardless, I had no real choice but to comply so I stopped my thrashing about and attempts to talk. Eric slowly removed his hand and we faced the Magister again. Who apparently decided to ignore my outbursts. I am still only _human_ after all.

"Well Compton, it seems that the Queen should pick someone better for procurement the next time around as it doesn't seem like you've done a very good job." He was smirking at Bill now and I had the distinct impression that he didn't like this Queen. Whoever she was. "So, am I right to believe now that the real reason you chose to stake the vampire to save the human was to protect the asset that you were under orders to obtain?"

"Yes. I was told to take whatever actions necessary to protect her and deliver her to the Queen." Bill stated with confidence.

"Did she specifically tell you that killing another vampire was within the realm of whatever actions necessary?" The Magister inquired carefully.

"Well, no Magister." Bill answered hesitantly.

"So, what we have here is an underling who took things too far and will have a very irate Queen to deal with after she learns that he lost her new toy." Bill looked shocked. He really believed that he had played his ace in the hole. "Northman is twice her age and is better equipped to handle the telepath. Plus, the girl already responds to his direction." He added this while motioning to my still form in the arms of the Sherriff. "My ruling stands and the Queen will not be allowed to interfere with my decision. You, however, I'm sure will have to endure her punishment."

With that statement, Bill fell silent again and seemed to accept his defeat.

So, now I have saved the girl, found a Maker, discovered the betrayal of my first love, and I'm apparently safe from this mysterious Queen. The Magister seems to loathe Bill even more than before and Eric seems to share my newfound hatred for him. I'm beginning to wonder what's next on the menu.

"Northman. I think its time we get this done with."

Oh, right. I'm next on the menu. I stifle a giggle and I'm sure that Eric thinks I'm crazy. Perhaps I am. I've given my life away to a vampire I loathed 20 minutes ago. Funnier still, that same vampire now makes me feel safe even though he's about to kill me. I'm nearing the end of what I can emotionally or mentally handle with all the twist, turns, and irony.

"Magister. As I don't believe I'm the one being punished, I would like to enjoy the process in private." Oh, that doesn't sound good. Yuck! Does he expect sex? God, I should have thought of that. I can't do that. "We can certainly present ourselves before you once she rises."

"Sherriff, I don't see the point and I want this done. It was entertaining to begin with but I'm finding myself irritated by this never-ending drama and I'm ready for a snack." The Magister growled out. So, apparently vampires are grumpy when they're hungry too. Good to know.

"I apologize Magister I should have explained fully. As you pointed out, others who want to steal my child will no doubt target me. To protect myself, I intend to bond with her before I turn her." Eric explained evenly.

Bill gasped but was silenced by the vampire restraining him. The Magister seemed to be measuring Eric's words and I was just as lost as I had been for most of the night. "Hmmm. I've never been a fan of that process, as I couldn't stand to have my children around longer than required. However, I can see in this case that it would be a strategic advantage and prudent for your own protection. Plus, I'm sure that it will be helpful to keep such an asset close." He paused again, considering. "I leave a week from today from the Shreveport airport. I will come to Fangtasia to confirm that you have completed the process."

Turning back to Bill the Magister continued, "Well, you've lost your telepathic pet and we've replenished what you took, but where was your real punishment?" Shaking his head he stated, "Two weeks bound in silver in a coffin without blood. This will also prevent you from interfering with the bonding and turning. I'm sure whatever the Queen does to you afterwards will be sufficient to complete your punishment." With the flick of his wrist, the vampire restraining Bill moved him further away and out of sight. I didn't even bother to watch him leave. The sight of him now made my stomach turn.

"Northman, you and your party may leave." As Eric began to turn us away, I looked at Eric with pleading eyes and nodded towards Jessica where she still laid curled up in a ball in the middle of everything. It appeared as if she was hoping to be invisible.

"Magister, with your permission, we can return the girl to her home per the agreement." Eric stated carefully.

The Magister made a "go ahead" motion with one of his hands without raising his eyes from the handheld computer thing that he had been studying earlier in the night.

I started to move towards Jessica but Eric tightened his grip. I glanced at him and he finally nodded and released me. As I approached her, I noticed that she still seemed to be repeating the Lord's Prayer but no sound escaped her moving lips. She was staring off into space, apparently in an attempt to ignore everything around her. I've never seen someone have a nervous breakdown, but she seemed very close to what I would imagine it to look like.

Kneeling down to her, I whispered very close to her ear. "Jessica?" But I didn't get any response. Placing my hand on her shoulder with a tiny shake, I tried again. "Jessica. My name is Sookie and I'm going to take you home. But if you want to go, you have to get up now and not say a word."

Jessica finally roused slightly and turned her swollen, tear filled eyes towards me. "I can go home?" Her whisper contained the unmistakable tenor of disbelief mixed with wonderment.

"Yes." I answered her kindly. "But you must come now." With that reassurance I stood and offered her my hand. Cautiously, she took my hand and stood at my side. As we walked back towards my group of vampires, I could feel Jessica getting terrified again.

"Don't worry. They are just driving you home. I'll be with you." I placed my arm around her wait and she eagerly settled into the embrace for the comfort and reassurance it provided.

I didn't look at Eric or any of the others as we approached. I didn't want to see what was on their faces. All I wanted to focus on was Jessica. Consoling her, calming her, and getting her home. After all, she was the prize for my sacrifice so I should be allowed to use her as a distraction until I was ready to deal with my new reality. With that in mind, I walked us up to the SUV.

"Chow"

"Yes, Master."

"Stay so you can report on the rest of the tribunal. Then go close the club. Pam and I will not return tonight."

"Of course, Master" And with a nod he was gone.

* * *

The only words spoken once were situated in the SUV were to get Jessica's address. Eric and Pam were sitting in the front being as silent as only vampires can be and Jessica had laid down in the fetal position beside me with her head resting in my lap. She looked and acted exactly like a small child needing comfort from their mother. The notion sent a sharp pain through my heart, but again I pushed away all thoughts of what I'd lost. I wasn't ready. I'd think about them later.

The silence was making it harder for me to avoid thinking though. So, I tried to just listen to Jessica's thoughts to distract myself, but she was still in a daze. In an effort to keep myself from any emotional topics, I started thinking about practical matters. Kind of like some people do when someone they love dies. They drown themselves in the preparations for the funeral and taking care of the business aspects instead of really facing the loss.

So, I started thinking about emotionally meaningless things. Like how I was going to have to get a new driver's license that carries your vampire age on it. Its kind of funny to think that my age would be zero. Also, I wonder if there's any legal issues with keeping what you had before you became undead, like my house. Wait, would I have to live with Eric? What about Gran's? I need a new topic before that makes me cry.

I should probably take a shower and shave before I'm turned. I'd hate to have to shave everyday for an eternity. I wonder if I'll have time to file my nails too.

Yes, I was good at avoiding the pain.

We had been driving east on I-20 towards Jessica's home in Arcadia for about 15 minutes when Jessica looked up at me and caught my eye. Before I could think to read her mind to determine her intentions, she spoke with the raspy whisper of someone who had cried for hours.

"Why?"

With that one word, I saw Eric and Pam shift slightly in their seats. Apparently, they were wondering the same thing.

"Why what honey?" I didn't really want to discuss this topic and maybe she was asking something different than I thought.

"Why did you give up your life to save me?" her voice was so tiny, like she was still afraid I could change my mind.

I sighed and responded kindly. "It doesn't really matter, does it? Besides, you won't remember any of this tomorrow anyway?"

"Of course I will. How could I forget?" She stated defiantly.

"When we get to your home, the vampires will help you forget?"

"What do you mean? Are they going to hurt me? I thought I was safe?" Crap. Now I'd scared her.

"No, sweetie. They are going to just make you forget. Kind of like being hypnotized. It won't hurt at all. Besides, you don't really want to remember this do you?"

"No." she whispered as she relaxed. "No, I don't"

I returned to looking out the window, hoping that the conversation was over. We should be getting close to her home soon anyway.

"I still want to know why."

I couldn't help myself. I was annoyed and I closed my eyes for a few seconds. Hadn't I given her enough? Why couldn't she just let it go?

When I opened my eyes and looked down at her, I intended to tell her to just let it go but her expression stopped me and I listened to her thoughts. Her thoughts were familiar to me. She was feeling guilty. She was still relieved and thankful but the guilt was there as well.

I gave up and gave her a partial answer. "You wouldn't have been there at all if he hadn't killed the vampire to save me. I would have been dead and you wouldn't have been there. Why should your life be forfeited so I could live? Why should my life be worth more than yours? I wouldn't have been able to live with the guilt."

She considered for a minute and I hoped that my answer was enough or that we would arrive at her home, but luck obviously wasn't on my side tonight.

"But why did you think that my life was worth more than yours?" I found myself wondering why she would ask these questions. Really, it was almost like she was trying to talk me out of it somehow. But a quick trip through her thoughts revealed that she was just hoping I would say something that would lessen her guilt.

Wanting to look away from her for a second, I glanced forward and saw Eric's sapphire eyes boring holes into me through the rearview mirror. I realized then that I was going to be having this conversation one way or the other. At least here I could pretend that I was just talking to Jessica instead of having to go through this with Eric when we were alone. I steeled my emotions and gave her my answer.

"Because you have a future. You'll grow up, get a job, get married, and have kids and eventually grandkids. You can have all those things and I couldn't watch them be taken away from you."

"But you could have had those too." She insisted.

"None of those things were ever in my future." I told her evenly.

"Why?" Boy, she was persistent but I knew that question was coming.

I gave a small, sad smile as I continued. "Jessica, think about all the teenage boys you know and all the hurtful or insensitive things they say, or how they look at you when you're wearing something nice. Can you imagine what's really going on in their heads that they don't say aloud? Let me tell you that you don't want to know and it's even worse as they get older. It's impossible to be with someone when you know everything that passes through their minds, and touching someone just makes their thoughts that much louder. So, no. Marriage and children were never in my future. I might have wanted them, but I've known for years that it could never happen."

"You could have adopted or had a donor." I had to laugh a little. I was coming to realize that now she was just interested in the conversation and distracting herself.

"I could never bring a child into my life. I'm surrounded by danger at this point and there's no getting out of it for me. A child would just be a target. Besides, telepathy is a curse. Yes, people who benefit from it think it's a gift, but to live with it is a curse. I would never wish it on my worst enemy so I wouldn't risk passing it on to a child."

Finally, we felt Eric turn off onto the exit ramp and Jessica had to sit up to give him directions to her house. In another five minutes we had pulled up in front of her small ranch home where several lights were still on. Obviously, they were still waiting for their teenage daughter to show up.

Eric had exited the SUV and come around to Jessica's door when she turned to me.

"I may not remember you, but know that I am eternally grateful. Thank you." She reached over and hugged me tightly with tears in her eyes before stepping out of the car and shutting the door.

"The family is still up waiting for her." I observed aloud.

"He'll glamour them too." Was Pam's bored response before she turned to look at me appraisingly. "We're going to have to go shopping soon."

Well, that was random. "Ummm. Why?"

"No sister of mine will be caught undead in discount store clothing."

"I should really be offended but I'll save the offense and point out the obvious. I can't afford what you would pick out Pam and besides that I'm not really a pastel kind of girl." I responded tiredly.

"No, your more of a red type but the cost doesn't matter. It's one of the perks of being Eric's child. His credit card." She replied with an anticipatory grin.

"Now you're just telling me your spoiled." I jabbed back at her.

To which she gave me a meaningful look and responded very seriously, "No, I'm telling you one of the small ways in which you should count yourself to be _VERY_ lucky."

Before I could respond, Pam turned back around and Eric entered the car. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard to find that it was only 2:00 in the morning. There was still plenty of night left for them to plan my death. I decided to spend the rest of the drive resting my eyes and trying to keep my thoughts blank.

Before I drifted off to sleep, I heard Eric and Pam have a short conversation but they were talking in another language so I had no idea what they said.

"Hon är för lugn" Pam whispered.

"Jag vet" Eric replied.

"Vad ska du göra?" she asked.

"Jag har en plan"

* * *

A/N: Please don't forget to review. It helps to keep me on track.

I used Google to translate from English to Swedish for me. I've translated it below using what I entered as the English version. Let me know if anyone has a better translation.

"Hon är för lugn" - "She's too calm"

"Jag vet" - "I know"

"Vad ska du göra?" - "What are you going to do?"

"Jag har en plan" - "I have a plan"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I am completely blown away by everyone's response to this story. It truly humbles me since I've never tried to write anything before. I was trying to respond to every review but it's been hard to keep up. Please know though that I read and appreciate each one.

I hope you continue to enjoy the story. I'm sorry this chapter took a little longer than the last two but I work during the week. However, the reward is the longest chapter to date. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: AB, CH, and HBO make all the money. I own nothing. I'm just messing with their universe.

* * *

My exhaustion-induced nap ended suddenly and my eyes flew open. Taking a deep breath, I took inventory of my surroundings. I was still in the Escalade but it looked like we had pulled into a large garage. I guess the car stopping was what woke me up.

Eric and Pam appeared to be having a quick discussion over by an ocean blue minivan that was on the other side of a red corvette. As I opened my door, Pam entered the van and backed out of the garage without a word. I guess there won't be an audience for the main event then. I suppose that's good.

Eric walked towards the door in front of the corvette while I walked around to the front of the Escalade. He hadn't even glanced in my direction yet. I knew I was avoiding eye contact with him earlier but this felt awkward now that we were alone.

He was on the top step with his hand on the doorknob when I decided to speak. "Um, where are we?" I was hesitant only because it felt like he was trying to avoid dealing with me.

Continuing inside, he coolly answered. "Our home."

"Oh, does Pam live here too then?" I was trying to sound conversational.

He paused for just a second in the small hallway and I stopped on the bottom step at the entrance. He turned slightly and glanced in my direction with a raised eyebrow, "No." Then he continued down the hallway and out of sight.

"Oh…right." I mumbled as I slowly followed him inside. Guess that answers my question about living arrangements. I knew arguing wouldn't get me anywhere - although I was tempted.

As I came to the end of the hallway, I walked towards the only source of light. Since most of the home was in darkness, I couldn't really make out anything along the way.

The light came from an oversized great room that was about the size of the first floor of my home. It had a masculine feel to it, but was very impersonal. The brown leather furniture was obviously bought with the large stature of its owner in mind. The coffee and end tables were tasteful but not ornate and there weren't many decorative items around the place. There were two large bay windows on the back wall with a fireplace situated between them. Over the fireplace, there was a very old looking sword on display. The only other wall decorations were abstract pieces of art and they were very dark in color and in mood. Most puzzling was the skylight in the vaulted ceiling. Why would a vampire have a skylight? Weird.

Eric was looking out of one of the bay windows, facing away from me with his hands clasped behind his back. I really couldn't get a feel for him at all. I had no idea what this silence and stoicism was about.

Sighing for about the hundredth time in one night, I decided to try and break the silence _again_, "So, what happens now?"

Without turning he replied without inflection, "I have some things to take care of in my office upstairs. Stay here." And he was gone.

Well, shit.

I was really starting to get annoyed. I had kept my emotions in check most of the night but this was just ridiculous. Was he trying to torture me by making me wait to die? Was he trying to make me miserable by leaving me without any idea of what was going to happen? It was getting late. It was almost 3:00. Was he having second thoughts? Was he trying to get out of it? Why wasn't he talking to me?

I really don't know Eric at all so I have no real grounds for trying to determine his motives or emotions (if he has any). I tried thinking about Sam or Jason and what this type of behavior would mean from them. Then, it hit me. He was _MAD_! At _ME_? What the hell had I done? Was he mad that I was going to be his child?

That couldn't be it. He was given the option to back out and he didn't. He could have just turned me down, right? But maybe he thought I would turn HIM down and he was betting on that to get him out of it instead of upsetting the Magister. Oh god, what had I done? I was going to have Eric as my Maker for eternity and he was going to resent me. He was going to make my life a living hell for doing this to him.

What did the Magister say? That Eric could protect me. So, that means having me as his child will endanger his life. Damn. What if he just kills me and says the process didn't work? I've heard that it happens sometimes.

Now, I'm really starting to freak out for the first time. What should I do? Should I try to run? No, he'd just catch me. I didn't doubt that. And he'd probably get in trouble and be even angrier with me if anyone found out. Maybe I should apologize? Should I tell him he can take me back to the Magister to let him pick a new Maker? But what if he decides to give me to the Queen? I don't know her but she is definitely not on my Christmas list after the shit with Bill.

What I really don't understand though is that I thought he was happy with this turn of events. He had held me even tighter when I accepted him as my Maker and I got the distinct impression that he was feeling triumphant. Did I just misread everything? It was possible. I was a mess of emotions at the time and my mistakes with Bill certainly revealed that I was easily misled, but I still don't want to think about that deception. I have years to beat myself up over that one and I wasn't ready to face the heartbreak.

My thoughts had completely spiraled out of control by the time Eric re-entered the room. I had worked myself up into a frenzy and was pacing around the room.

"Sit." He ordered. Seriously?

"So, I'm a dog now?" I snapped.

He was in front of me and in my face before I could even register the movement. "If I say so, then yes. I suggest you learn that lesson. _Quickly_." His voice was harsh and I tried to stand my ground, but I know I flinched. I was trying my best to get back to my normal self.

He straightened up and walked over to sit in one of the leather chairs before continuing in a cooler tone, "Remember that you asked for this Ms. Stackhouse." What could I say? It was true. Although I did find it odd that he still called me Ms Stackhouse considering how our relationship was about to change.

He motioned for me to sit down and I took a seat in an identical chair to the one he was sitting in. This arrangement left a coffee table between us. Once I was seated, he started to speak again.

"First, I need you to invite Pam into your home."

"Okay. Are we going there?" I was confused.

"Not tonight, but Pam is on her way to get some of your things. You can invite her from here."

"Uh. Alright. Pam you can enter my home." I had a questioning tone because I wasn't sure if that would work. Eric just nodded at me so I suppose that was sufficient.

Then, he just sat there looking at me. Not one word. Not a movement. I'm so sick of mind games.

"Look, its obvious that your ticked off." That got me a raised eyebrow of course. Those eyebrows were starting to get on my nerves already and now I was stuck with them for eternity. "If you're reconsidering then I'm sure your Magister would be happy to pawn me off on someone else. If it's something else your mad about, can we get it out of the way so we can move on. Waiting around is its own brand of torture and it's getting late anyway." I had an angry tone but I was also fidgeting greatly through the latter part of my speech.

"You acted impulsively tonight." The statement had the hint of accusation in it.

I couldn't really argue his point. It was impulsive, but still. "Yes, but there wasn't another option."

"Yes there was."

"Oh really, and what was that?" My tone revealed my disbelief.

"Let Compton turn the girl." He rolled his eyes at his obvious answer.

"Like I said, no options."

"Do you think she would have done the same for you?"

"That's not the point." How do you get a vampire to understand this!

"Then enlighten me." He was so damn sure of himself.

"I already said it in the car. I wouldn't be able to stand the guilt." I was getting exasperated.

Now, his voice hardened. "Exactly. You allow your emotions to rule you to the point that you place no value on your own life. That even though its obvious that you didn't want to be a vampire you will now become one. You will now have hundreds of years to live with this consequence when you would have had only another 50 or so years with your guilt. Hardly a well considered decision." He paused. "Am I angry with you? No, but it is unacceptable that my bonded child would have no sense of self-preservation. Mastering your emotions and learning how to think through them will be one of your first lessons."

"How dare you! You know nothing about me and what do you know of emotions!" I stood up with my words but he had pushed me back into the seat before I had even completely gained my footing. It didn't hurt but there was no fighting the force of it.

"I TOLD YOU TO SIT AND YOU WILL NOT RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME." He allowed these words to hang in the air for a couple of minutes as he towered over me. Finally, he sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of my chair.

"You will find that centuries of observing humans allows one to gather a lot of information from only a few words. Besides, you proved my point by your little outburst. You have no restraint." He crossed his arms and leaned back slightly. "As I said, you WILL learn to control your emotions."

"So I can be a cold hearted bitch." I hissed through clenched teeth.

He growled and I knew I had just instigated round three but his cell phone interrupted us.

He checked the caller ID before answering. "Yes?" Almost immediately his face turned to stone but then gained a small smirk while he appraised me. "That's doubtful . . . So, he is still alive?" Oh no, did she hurt someone at my house. I was about to speak when he held his hand up in a halt gesture. Irritating. "Has anyone else seen you there?" he continued on the phone. "One minute."

He then moved the phone away from his ear in order to talk to me. "It appears that the murderer that has been killing women known to have contact with our kind has chosen you as his next victim." Damn. Will this night never end?

"How do you know?"

"He was waiting in your home. Hiding in the shadows of your bedroom to be exact. Pam has detained him. Some greasy man named Rene."

"Oh my god! That's Arlene's boyfriend. He works with Jason. I can't believe it. _He_ killed my Gran!" On top of everything else tonight, I was trying to not let this break me. Taking a breath to settle myself, I asked, "What are you going to do with him?"

"Pam said he's disgusting but she's hungry." He shrugged.

"But then my brother would still be a suspect. Can't you just glamour him to turn himself in or something?" I would beg if I had to do so. I was leaving my brother to be the last living member of our family. The least I could do was help keep him out of jail.

"Fine. That's simple enough." Then back into the phone. "Pam . . . I'm sure there's True Blood in Sookie's kitchen." He was smiling a little as he said this but I nodded in acknowledgement. "Finish and get back. It's late."

He finished up with the call and turned back to me as I yawned. "Now, we have to talk about tonight and I have tasks for you to complete tomorrow."

"What? Won't I be in the ground or something?" Why can't he just start from the beginning?

"No. Unlike you, I am not impulsive. There are things that need to be done." Again, the accusatory tone.

"But I don't want to wait another day. Its just more time to obsess and worry about everything." I was tired and whining now.

"Three days actually." He said while standing to go back to his chair.

"Three days what?" I was afraid I knew.

"You will see three more sunsets before I turn you." He stated while looking me in the eye.

"No! Are you trying to make this more difficult for me on purpose?" I was on the verge of tears now.

"This isn't about making it difficult. There are things to be done like I said before. Loose ends to wrap up. Besides, we will use the three days to complete the bond before your turning."

"So, this bond thing takes three days? What is a bond exactly?" I didn't think my opinion on whether or not I wanted this bond mattered so I'd put off thinking about it until I had to.

"We will be taking three nights to complete the bond. Tonight and for the next two nights we will have a mutual blood exchange." He paused and smirked at me, "They can be rather enjoyable you know." I rolled my eyes. I was not in the mood. "On the fourth night, we will complete the turning."

I decided to not to address the innuendo just like I was ignoring most things, "But what is a bond exactly?"

"With a bonded child, if the Master meets his final death then the child dies as well. The more known you become for your telepathy, the more others will want to take you – especially while your young. The easiest way for them to achieve that goal would be to kill me. Of course there are few that could accomplish that due to my age, but this is a good insurance policy to prevent most from trying." He explained all of this like you would a business arrangement.

I had the fleeting thought that this wasn't very fair to me but he had lived a long time so it couldn't be too much of a gamble for me. "So that's it? Mutual final death?"

"The final death scenario only goes one way. If the child dies, the Master does not but it is extremely painful – or so I've been told. Pam is my only child and I've never bonded so I have no personal experience."

"Not exactly fair but I guess most things aren't lately." I mumbled. "What else does it do?"

"We will be able to feel each others emotions and send them back and forth if we want to do so. " He didn't seem too happy about this part. I wasn't sure if it was because he thought my emotions were so erratic and annoying or because he didn't want me knowing that much about him.

"So my domino effect final death and emotion sharing." I said to recap and finalize. Not as bad as I'd thought it could be.

"And you will never be able to leave me." He added while watching me carefully.

Blank. I was unable to think of a response to that. My jaw just dropped as we both continued to regard each other until he broke the silence.

"Normally, the child leaves the Master's side once they have learned everything they need to learn and have enough control. The timeline always varies. Sometimes children come back to their Master's side like Pam did, but they are normally on their own after the adjustment period." He leaned back in his chair as he continued. "The tie between a Master and their bonded child is different. While the child will eventually be able to be away from the Master's proximity for short periods of time" he passed thoughtfully before adding "Like going on a vacation would probably be okay. But eventually, it will become painful physically and psychologically for both Master and child if they do not reunite soon."

"Is the bond really necessary? Couldn't we wait to see if it's needed later?" I was trying to walk a thin line because I was trying to be persuasive without making him angry. I mean having to live with someone for eternity is a huge thing and we didn't even know each other well enough to know if we'd get along at all. "Seriously, you barely know me nor I you, but I can't imagine that you're the type to want to be so closely bound to someone."

"What I want or don't want is irrelevant. It is what is necessary." He was back to his cold, emotionless voice.

"But why not wait to . . ."

"This type of bond can only be made before the turning and the Magister already expects it. " I started to say something else but he stopped me. "There is an eternity for your questions but we have other things to discuss tonight. The bond is required. Do you understand?"

I glared at him for a minute but I finally nodded.

"Before we do the blood exchange, we need to talk about tomorrow when you wake. Pam will be bringing you back some clothes, toiletries, and food for the next few days. You may explore the home and enjoy any area that is not locked. There is a pool outside as well. You will not leave the property. Is that understood?"

"Yes." That was simple enough.

"I don't expect any trouble as no one knows of this home. However, there will be a bodyguard outside the house. You will not see him and he will only approach if you are in trouble"

"Or try to leave, right?" I challenged. I had no intention of running. Even if I had second thoughts, I'd made a deal and I would keep my word. However, I knew he didn't trust that so we might as well put it out there.

"Yes." His voice was steel but returned to its normal tenor as he continued. "In case he approaches you and you need to confirm his identify, his name is Alcide." Again I nodded to show I was following along. "Now, I'm going to warn you before I explain your next task that I will not tolerate disrespect or disobedience." This was not going to be good. He seemed to be waiting for some sort of acknowledgement so I steady myself with a deep breath and nodded.

"Tomorrow, you will call those closest to you – your brother, boss, closest friends – and have them meet you at your house at 11:00 tomorrow night." He waited for my reaction.

I'm sure my face clearly showed my mounting fear and dread for what I was almost certain was coming. I know all the blood had drained from my face. "Why?" My voice was small and barely audible.

"You will tell them of your choice." He was firm but there was almost a hint of understanding in his voice.

I closed my eyes. I couldn't help it. I had specifically been ignoring all the real consequences and casualties of my decision and now he was going to make me face most of them in one night and at the same time. I couldn't stop the tear that fell down my cheek. Without opening my eyes I asked, "Can I wait please? I'm not ready for that."

He sighed. I think that's the first time I'd heard that sound from him. It was also the most human thing I'd ever witnessed from him. "You will never be ready, so no it cannot wait."

"The saying is better to ask forgiveness than permission." I finally opened my eyes. I'm sure my pain was evident.

He scoffed at my words, "And which do you think you need from these people."

I was looking at the floor now and grumbled. "Neither, its more the sentiment than anything else. I'd rather deal with their anger and everything else afterwards then their pleading to change my mind beforehand." Looking up at him, I tried again. "Can't I do it right after?"

"No. You were last seen leaving with four vampires. They will start looking for you. We could always make up an excuse for you to give them but it's delaying the inevitable."

"But if I could do it after . . . "

"Then you might kill them." I started to shake my head and say no but he was already prepared for that. "Newly risen vampires are not in control of their instincts and their emotions are several times stronger than a humans. Anger and rage are the easiest to trigger and they lead to bloodlust. I'm sure that those close to you will not be amiable to your decision and if we wait until your turned you _will_ attack them if they anger you."

"I wouldn't, but if I did you would stop me, right?" He wouldn't let me kill my friends or family right. In a small voice I added, "I don't want to kill anyone."

"Even if I did stop you, do you really want them to find out that way and see you try to attack them?" Now, he was challenging me.

"I wouldn't. I _know_ I . . ." before I could say another word he was in my face. I had recoiled all the way into the back of the chair with his arms trapping me in place on each armrest. His fangs were fully extended and I can honestly say that I'd never seen a more terrifying expression on anyone's face.

"DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW MORE THAN I DO ABOUT VAMPIRES. ARE YOU SO STUBBORN THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO RISK IT? OR ARE YOU A COWARD AND UNABLE TO FACE THEM AND YOUR DECISION? " He continued with less volume but with just as much steel and venom. "You _would_ lose your temper and _this_ is the face they would see. Do you want to see them terrified of you, Ms Stackhouse? Is the image of their fear and your _guilt_ in causing it something you want to carry with you for centuries?"

I looked away and stared out the window that was beside me. A few more tears made their way down my cheeks as I stared at the rain that had started falling during our conversation. Eric straightened up without another word and returned silently to his seat.

Was he right? Would I be unable to control myself if they made me angry? I already have a temper and I know that they will all be angry. Jason had already slapped me when Gran died. What if he slapped me again? If I lost my temper and they all saw that new side of me, I wouldn't be able to handle the grief it would cause me to see their fear and to know that I was to blame.

So, I had to accept his reasoning, but still I just wasn't ready. I knew it would have to be done but what would I say? What would they say? Would this be goodbye? Would they ever want to see me again? Would Eric allow me to see them again? I wasn't ready to find out the answer to either of those last two questions.

He had asked if I was a coward. Stackhouses are not cowards. I've lived my life facing people who hated me or feared me. I've never hidden away in shame or defeat. But I had been avoiding thinking about any of the fallout since I made the deal to save Jessica's life. Was that cowardly?

Eric interrupted my musing, "Ms. Stackhouse." I wiped the tears from my face and turned back to him. I was not a coward.

"Okay." I agreed in a defeated tone and he nodded in acceptance.

"I will leave a prepaid cell phone in the kitchen for you to use. I don't want anyone tracing us back to this property. If you have a cell phone, turn it off and leave it off."

"Who would be trying to find us? I thought it was all settled with the Magister." Maybe I missed some other threat along the way. I might need a scorecard to keep track if the vultures kept circling around me.

"Oh, I don't think the Queen will give up so easily." He answered with a hint of amusement in this voice. I'm sure my fear started to show on my face so as he stood up and moved towards the couch he added, "No need to worry, just being cautious. But we'll talk more on the Queen later. Now, we need to start the bond and you need sleep. Pam should be here soon with your things and dawn is approaching"

Eric sat in the corner of the couch with one leg along the back seat of the couch and the other foot on the floor. He motioned for me to join him. "The most comfortable way to do the blood exchange is for you to sit with your back against my chest. I will drink from your neck while you will drink from my wrist."

I eyed him skeptically, "I don't really care about comfort. Wrist and wrist would be fine . . ."

"Ms Stackhouse, I have centuries to convince you to yield to me and only an hour until dawn. There is simply not enough time for me to enjoy you properly tonight." He said all this with his signature smirk before motioning again. "So, sit."

I know I was still blushing from his comment when I sat down stiffly in front of him. I had only had Bill's blood when I was injured by the Rattrays and a little of Longshadow's blood when he was staked. I had never exchanged blood at the same time and this position felt too intimate since I didn't really know Eric.

Sensing my hesitance, Eric placed his arms around my waist and pulled me back into his embrace. His hand swiftly moved my hair away from the right side of my neck and he rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Have you ever exchanged blood mutually before?" I shook my head in answer. I knew he didn't bring up Bill's name purposefully and I was thankful.

He began skimming the side of my neck with the tip of his nose. "Then I should warn you that a mutual exchange is arousing to both parties, there's no denying it." He chuckled a little sensing my blush and discomfort. "You will find that you have no reason to feel shy or embarrassed around me. Besides, I promise to behave myself." He paused and then whispered against my ear. "For tonight."

The next thing I knew Eric had removed his left arm from my waist and bit into his wrist. He placed it in front of me and whispered, "Drink." Then he was placing small kisses on my neck directly behind my ear sending a shiver throughout my body. I slowly took hold of his wrist and placed my mouth on the wound.

Tentatively, I started to draw blood from his wrist. Eric moaned slightly behind me and I felt the evidence of his enjoyment against my back. I couldn't help the way his reaction woke up the lower half of my body but I was determined to keep my composure.

As I took a second swallow of his blood, I noticed that his taste wasn't as metallic as I had expected. In fact, it was more sweet than metallic and I'm embarrassed to say that I found myself enjoying his taste.

"I have wanted you since the moment I saw you. You are beautiful." He placed another kiss behind my ear. "You are brave and full of spirit." Another kiss on the slope of my neck where it meets the shoulder. "And you have one of the sweetest scents I've ever experienced from a human." I couldn't help what his words, combined with the taste of his blood, were doing to my body. He said this would be arousing but arousing was definitely an understatement.

Eric placed one last kiss on the side of my neck before his fangs slid into me like a hot knife through butter. The moment he tasted my blood he growled seductively and his hips pressed his erection more firmly into my back as his right arm tightened around me. I was surprised that not only was there not the slightest bit of pain from his bite but also the effect his bite had on my lust. I couldn't stifle my own moan as we continued drinking from each other. With every draw I took from his wrist, I felt myself nearing an orgasm. I tried fighting the rising tide but decided to succumb to the moment when it was obvious that I wouldn't be the only one reaching completion. The low moans and slight grinding from behind me made it clear that Eric would be reaching great heights along with me.

With a final draw from his wrist, my body came alive as I reached a powerful climax. I cried out and arched my back with my head thrown back against his shoulder. Eric's hips never left contact with my back and he groaned loudly as he reached his moment as well.

Both of our bodies relaxed and I allowed my weight to rest on Eric's chest until I could regain the ability to move. He lazily licked the wounds on the side of my neck closed and wrapped both of his arms around me.

After a couple of minutes of blissful silence, Eric spoke softly, "Sookie, has anyone ever mentioned to you that you taste different or especially sweet?"

I sat up slightly then to look back at him. "I asked once if I tasted different and he said yes. I assumed it was the telepathy."

Eric was studying my face, "No, its not that."

"What? I don't understand. Why else would I taste different from other humans?"

"We don't have time to discuss it tonight its too close to dawn."

"But. . . "

Eric placed a finger over my mouth. "Not tonight"

"Oh, is it Daddy – Daughter cuddle time. Is it too late to join?" Pam's words snapped me right back into reality and I was off the couch and five feet away in a flash.

"Look at you and your reflexes." Pam added noting how quickly I had moved thanks to Eric's blood. "I missed family blood sharing too."

"Pamela" Eric's voice was firm.

"But why should my little sister have all the fun." Now she was making a pouty face.

"Enough." Eric shot back at her. "Now, did you take care of everything?"

"Of course, while you two were here having fun, I was doing all the work. Greasy murderer exposed, Sissy's essentials gathered, and I terrorized the humans at the store when they laughed at my questions about human food. All that and I even had time to stop for a snack since I wasn't able to order in like some people I know." She added that last part with a wink at me.

"I'm going to show Sookie to one of the guest rooms while you put up the food. I assume you're staying here?" Eric asked her while picking up the suitcase Pam had packed for me.

"Yes. I wouldn't make it back to any of my homes."

Eric nodded to Pam and then motioned for me to follow him upstairs. We entered the first door on the left at the top of the stairs. The room had a king sized bed, cherry wood furniture, and a red comforter with gold swirls and trim. I was really too tired to notice much else as Eric placed my suitcase on the foot of the bed. There was another bay window in this room and I found myself staring outside but not really seeing anything.

"I would recommend resting as much as possible since tomorrow night will be rather long and we have more to discuss along with some business items to complete. Also, I'm sure the meeting at your home will be exhausting for you." I slowly nodded. "Sunset will be around 8 PM. You will need to be ready and have your dinner by then."

I didn't look at him but I could feel him appraising me. I didn't know why but all the sudden I felt like I was losing control and lost at sea. Maybe it was seeing where I was going to be sleeping and confronting the fact that I wasn't going home. Maybe it was pure exhaustion. Or maybe it was just the life altering circumstances of the day.

"Goodnight Sookie." I didn't acknowledge him but I heard him moving towards the door. I didn't hear the door shut but I didn't care to look. I was still immobile in front of the window. I could feel all the emotions swirling around inside me but I couldn't settle on anything. I felt lost inside my own body.

The next thing I registered was a cold touch on my chin urging my head up. Blue eyes were staring into mine. While I could still feel distance from Eric, his features were softer than I'd ever seen them.

"The beginning is always the hardest. There's no way to avoid what is inevitable but the quicker you face it, the quicker you can move on." I knew he was talking about the pain I was avoiding. I felt a single tear escape my eye and he caught it with his thumb. Studying me once more, he placed a light kiss on my forehead and whispered against my skin, "Take comfort in the fact that no matter what happens, you will never have to be alone again." His lips lingered for a moment longer on my skin and I closed my eyes. When I opened them, he was gone.

I stared at the door he had closed behind him for a moment and then mechanically went about unpacking my bag and getting ready for bed. When I finally lay down and pulled the comforter up around me, I turned towards the window and saw the first rays of light touching the sky. With that vision before my eyes, the damn broke and I let everything out that I had hid away during the night. I cried for what I lost, I cried for the betrayal I'd suffered, I cried for the danger still threatening us, and I cried for everything I would never have.

Just before sleep found me, I had one more round of sobs as I remembered Eric's words. All my life I had felt alone. I was the freak, the outcast. I was "Crazy Sookie." Constantly ridiculed and avoided. Of course I knew that my family and friends loved me, but even those closest to me couldn't always hide their fear or anxiety that I might hear something they wished to hide. I had accepted that it was my life and I would just have to make the best of it even if I never really "fit" anywhere.

Eric's words echoed in my mind, "you will never have to be alone again." I thought about his voice and his actions as he said those words. Then I thought about what it would be like to walk the earth for a thousand years. As I drifted off to sleep, my last conscious thought was that maybe his words were as much comfort for him as they were for me.

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A/N: I wasn't sure what I thought of how this chapter turned out. One minute I love it and the next minute I would think about starting over. Maybe its just new writer nerves. Please review and let me know what you think.

Also, I considered doing different POV in this story but I think in this story it would reveal too much too soon. So, I will do other POV later on as separate one shots or companion stories (like I'm thinking of doing Pam's POV at Sookie's house). However, I will only publish those once I'm sure they will not reveal anything too early that will ruin the anticipation in the main story. So, let me know along the way if there's any specific POV that you'd like to see later.

Thanks again for your support!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I was so nervous about the last chapter and your reviews really helped me get past it to start working on the next chapter. I understand now what everyone means about reviews being addictive.

Sorry I haven' t updated sooner. My husband was in the hospital for a few days (he's home now) but our life has been crazy. The below chapter is shorter than the previous ones but it's a good transition chapter. The next one will be much longer and posted soon.

SPOILER ALERT: Very soon I'm going to start introducing people/events/secrets from the books that have not been on the show yet. Due to what I've changed in the story, you'll also see some timeline changes that are necessary due to the situation Sookie finds herself in. Also, in some places, I will be mixing up the book and the show with my own inventions. I just wanted to warn you in case you don't read the books.

Disclaimer: Wish I did, but I don't own it. All rights are TB, CH, and HBO

* * *

There was no confusion. There was no moment of blissful ignorance.

When I opened my eyes I knew exactly where I was and why I was there. But as I looked at the sunshine that had triggered my breakdown the night before, I no longer felt the need to grieve. It was almost as if my soul had used the time I was unconscious to soothe my mind and work towards acceptance. As I turned onto my back and stared at the ceiling, I could tell my eyes were swollen from my sobbing last night. I had let every emotion I had about my fate overtake my body and, as painful as it was, I felt better for it today. That might change as the day and night went on, but right now I felt strong, calm, and able to face whatever came my way.

It was probably Eric's blood helping me feel stronger, but at the moment I was happy to accept that side effect of our blood sharing last night.

Glancing at the bedside table I noticed that it was already almost 4:00PM. If the events of the evening were to start at 8:00 then I needed to get a move on.

After taking care of my morning necessities in the bathroom attached to my room, I made my way back down the stairs in search of the kitchen. It wasn't very hard to find. In the daylight I could see that it was just off to the right of the Great Room we were in last night. I was surprised to see that the kitchen was rather large and appointed with everything you would see in a normal human kitchen. I wondered why he would have a kitchen like this but figured it might be to keep up appearances or help resale value.

I knew I was going to need to make my dinner soon so I decide to just eat some cereal that I found for breakfast. While sitting at the table eating, I looked around the kitchen again in more detail but this time I noticed the cell phone on the center island. My hand paused with my spoon half-way to my mouth. I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath before returning back to my breakfast.

After cleaning up my dishes, I thought about waiting until I was done taking a shower and getting dressed before making my calls. However, I knew I needed to give them all time to arrange their schedules to meet me. Plus, as much as I was determined not to be a coward and start facing the consequences of my decision, I couldn't help but be apprehensive. No one wants to hear their family and friends yell at them and tell them how stupid they are. I was absolutely certain that was how my night was going to go.

Deciding to just get it over with, I picked up the phone and dialed Merlotte's before I had a chance to think about it anymore.

"Merlotte's. What do you want?" Crap! I was hoping to start with Sam not Tara. Plus, she obviously wasn't in a great mood.

"Tara, its Sookie. Can . . ."

"Sookie!" she interrupted me before I got further. "Damn girl we've been worried about you. You okay? What did those bloodsuckers do to you last night?"

"Tara, I'm fine but can I talk to Sam?"

"Not until you tell me where you are? I know you didn't come home." She said stubbornly. I loved Tara and the fact that she was protective but I would rather save the lectures and questions until tonight.

"I'm in Shreveport. Can you come over to my house tonight at 11:00? I'll tell you everything then." Maybe this way of asking her over would make the invitation easier at least. By easier I mean not arousing more suspicion.

"Well, since Arlene's party is most definitely a no-go . . . Oh wait, do you know about that?" She countered.

Shoot, how could I have forgotten about that. Acting time. "No, what happened? Are they rescheduling? They didn't breakup again did they?" I asked all this with the voice of a concerned friend.

"No honey." She paused. "Rene's the one who killed Gran. He confessed to all the murders today."

"OH MY GOD! RENE?"

"I know. Everyone here is in shock. He just walked right in to Bud's office and said he couldn't take the guilt anymore. Turns out Rene isn't even his real name. The bar is packed with all the people gossiping."

"Wow. I don't even know what to say." That was true. I wanted off this topic so I could stop pretending I didn't know it all already. After a short silence, "Tara, I know its bound to be busy there and all, but can you meet tonight? I really need you there?"

"Fine. Okay, I'll get there, but you _will_ tell me everything." She commanded. Boy, she had no idea.

"Don't worry. You'll leave knowing everything." I promised. More than she'd wished she knew actually. "Hey, is Lafayette there? I need to talk to him too. Why don't you bring him with you?"

"Yeah, that bitch is here. I'll bring him." She agreed. Well, that's two down. "Do you still need Sam?"

"Yes, is he there?"

"Just a second. He's in the office. He's being an ass today" she warned before she left to tell him to pick up the phone.

A few seconds later Sam picked up, "Chere? You okay?"

"Hey Sam! Sure I'm fine, but I have some stuff going on and I won't be able to come in tonight. I know its horrible timing because the bar will be busy tonight with Rene's confession and all, but it really can't be helped." I took a deep breath before continuing. "And actually, I was hoping you could come over at 11:00 so I can tell you about it."

"Sookie, what's going on? Are you in some sort of trouble? Do you need me to come get you? I told you that vampire would be nothing but trouble!" he growled the last part. I couldn't argue this time though. He did warn me.

"Sam I'll tell you everything tonight. Tara and Lafayette are coming too so that I don't have to tell the story over and over again. I know it means you'll all have to leave the bar when its busy but it won't take too long." I was rambling a little now. I wanted to get off the phone before I let something slip. "Can you come over please?"

"I'll figure out a way to keep the bar covered while we're all gone. Chere, you know I'll be there if you need me." My heart clutched a little at his statement. I was fairly certain he wouldn't feel that way for much longer based on how he felt about vampires.

"Great. Thanks Sam that means a lot to me." I was trying to keep emotion out of my voice. "I'll see you tonight. Bye"

I hung up the phone with a sense of relief. One phone call took care of three people - that was luck. Now, I just had to track down my brother. He would be the hardest to get there. Especially if it meant breaking a date with one of his lady friends and I'm sure he would be wanting to celebrate getting the police off his back for the murders.

I dialed Jason's cell phone but it went to voicemail. He was probably still at work. "Jason, it Sookie. I really have to talk to you tonight and it can't wait. Please meet me at my house at 11:00. You won't be able to call me before then. I'm not at home and my cell phone's dead. Please make sure you're there." I paused for a second trying to figure out what to say to make sure he was there and didn't blow me off. "You're the only family I have. Please come. I love you Jase, I'll see you later."

I ended the call and put the cell phone back on the island with a little more force than necessary relieved that my task was completed. But as I was leaving the voicemail for Jason, I had an epiphany (Word of the Day on my calendar last week).

I wasn't dreading telling them all because I was second guessing my decision or even because I knew they would be mad and think I was stupid. I wasn't even afraid of the thought that Jason might lose his head and try to slap me again like he did when Gran died.

No, it wasn't the yelling, crying, grief, or anger I was trying to avoid. That was all to be expected. I'd experienced my fair share of each last night and into the dawn.

So, what was I afraid of?

I was afraid of their rejection.

Even though I'd stood behind each of them when they made mistakes or the town ridiculed or rejected them and even though they had done the same for me (mostly), I wasn't sure they would still do the same for me once I was a vampire. If they truly loved me, then we should be able to move past this. Right? It would be hard and there would be disagreements, but we could still be a part of each other's lives in some ways. At least I hoped so. I mean I wouldn't cut them out of my life if the situation were switched. But . . . somehow I didn't think it would be that simple for them.

So, tonight I would find out who my real friends were and who would be walking out of my life forever.

Having depressed myself some with the new understanding of my feelings about the meeting tonight, I decided to stop thinking about it and get ready for the night ahead.

* * *

Having showered, I dressed in my jeans and a short-sleeved red scoop neck fitted t-shirt. After I had finished applying some basic make-up, blow drying my hair, and pulling it up into a ponytail, I made my way back into the hallway outside my bedroom. I was on a mission to find Eric's office. I needed pen and paper.

While I was getting ready earlier, my mind continued to work over my situation. I mean, what else would I be thinking about with only two more days of my mortal life remaining?

This morning, I had felt calm and a level of acceptance had set in, but as my day went on I started feeling the fear seep back into my body. I guess it was unrealistic to think I'd banished it completely. Still though, the longer I thought about it, the more afraid I started to get. At one point, I'd even felt my inner "flight" instinct trying to kick in and I'll admit that there were a few seconds where I started to feel my breathing get out of control while I considered ways to avoid the guard Eric had stated would be watching me.

I won the fight though. I would not run. I was a Stackhouse and we kept our word. I couldn't – no I _wouldn't_ – back out now. Jessica's life still depended on me.

So, I decided that I needed to find a way to beat back my fear. I wasn't a coward, but I was still afraid. The distinction being the difference between running from what you fear versus finding a way to defeat or face your fears.

This is why I needed to find Eric's office. I realized that, like most people, my fear was largely based on the unknown. I had never seriously considered becoming a vampire but now that it was only two days away I had some major questions. Can I keep my house? Will I be able to stay in contact with my brother? What about my friends?

And these were the simple questions.

So, the longer I thought, the longer my list got in my head. Therefore, I needed paper. Eric had a way of getting you off subject or messing with your head. So I was going to write down my list and make him go through each one with me. Well, try to make him go through each one. Maybe when some of the unknowns were out of the way I could keep the fear at a manageable level.

Last night Eric had stated that his office was upstairs. So, I took a left down the hallway and started opening doors. The first three doors I opened were more bedrooms similar to the one I was staying in but decorated in different color themes. The fourth door, or the third door on the right side of the hallway, was his office. Really though, I would call it a library with all the books on the wall. I quickly glanced around and noticed very old books along with newer looking ones, English titles next to foreign books, and in the middle of the walls of books stood a large dark oak desk with intricate carvings. That looked like a good place to start.

I sat down in the large black leather swivel chair that was behind his desk and easily found a pen. However, he didn't have any paper on his desktop. Upon trying each of the desk drawers, I found them all to be locked. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Vampires are extremely secretive.

"Well shoot" I muttered as I slumped back into the chair and looked around. Where was I going to find paper now? Just as I thought that last thought I noticed his printer on my right side. "Bingo!" I opened one of the compartments for paper and pulled out a couple of sheets. Mission accomplished.

Glancing at the clock on Eric's desk, I saw that it was 6:30. So, I took my supplies downstairs to use while my dinner cooked. While I was looking for my breakfast earlier, I spotted a frozen pizza in the freezer. I thought that would be the easiest thing to cook, as it would allow me time to make my list while it baked.

So, that's how I spent the rest of my daylight hours, cooking my pizza, eating, making my list, and waiting for the vampires to rise.

* * *

A/N: Hope you weren't too disappointed with the length/content of this chapter. I thought it was important to get in Sookie's head for the day to prepare for the night. Much, much more in the coming chapter. Please Review! Thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: You all are wonderful. I'm addicted to your reviews and alert additions. I refresh my email constantly to see what you all have to say. You keep me inspired to keep writing.

I normally don't plan on revealing much about the upcoming story but I thought this one wouldn't hurt. I've had several people ask me if I will be including the Dallas storyline. The answer is yes but it will be several chapters before we get there. I hope that gives you something else to look forward to in the future. I've got BIG plans for Dallas, but that's the only spoiler I'm providing. Don't kill me for the tease.

I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything; I'm just playing with the toys.

* * *

I was standing at the kitchen sink drying the last of my dishes from dinner when I felt the void not to far behind me – of course there was no noise from the entry.

"Good evening. Did you have a nice rest?" I asked pleasantly as I turned to see it was Pam who had entered the kitchen.

She raised an eyebrow. "It was the same as always." She replied dryly.

Right, no need for polite Southern manners with vampires. I half-sighed, half-laughed as I explained, "I'm sure your right. I was just being polite. Would you like me to warm a blood for you?"

"Fine." Was her only reply and she continued to watch me as I removed the True Blood from the refrigerator. I turned to her after I placed the bottle in the microwave and she just continued to stare at me as if I was a science experiment.

"Something on your mind Pam?"

"After what Eric felt from you at dawn, we thought you'd be an annoying little human this evening with all the snot, tears, and begging." She answered matter-of-factly. I knew he could feel my emotions after the blood we shared but he should have been dead for the day since I waited until daybreak. I'd have to ask about that later.

"Sorry to disappoint you. I'm not really one for begging and I'm all out of the other two." I said with a small smile. Then I decided to add "But I'm sure I can find another way to be annoying if you'd like." It felt good to be sarcastic. More like myself and less like a mouse stalked into a corner by the cat.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be annoying without trying dear sister." I think I actually saw a tiny curve of the lips from Pam with that comment but her features were blank again before I could be sure.

Pam apparently had more to say as I handed her the warmed blood. "Dear Abby would say you are in denial I think."

"Dear Abby?" I said indignantly.

"Yes, have you not heard of her? Don't all humans know her?"

I had to laugh at that. "I know who she is Pam. I'm just surprised you do."

"Ah. Well, it's always good to study your prey." She responded with a fanged smile.

Before I could respond Eric entered the kitchen, "Good evening ladies." Eric started giving me the same appraising look that Pam had started her evening with. Sheeze.

"You don't need to look at me like that. I'm not going to fall apart." I said with my hands on my hips. I was really starting to get annoyed. "We've already covered the issue of tears, snot, and begging and while I have no intention of indulging in any of the three, Pam assures me I'll still find a way to annoy you tonight." Then I leaned back on the sink and huffed. "As for me, I'm already annoyed."

I actually earned a laugh from Eric after my little speech, but Pam was still up for a challenge. "See, I'm right. Dr. Abby would say you are in the anger stage of grieving for your human life."

Oh Please. "Pam, that was not even close to me angry and stop treating me like I'm your experiment."

"Oh, but would you like to be. We could _experiment_ with several things." She answered with a leer and fangs.

Eric had been watching the whole scene unfold with his arms crossed over his chest, his left hip against the doorframe, and a smirk on his face. However, it seemed he was ready to move on as he interrupted me before I could respond.

"As entertaining as thinking about you two experimenting together is, we have things to do." I wasn't ready to let that comment go without response but Eric silenced me with a look and my annoyance continued to grow. "Sookie, did you complete your task for the day?"

There was a subject sure to change my emotional state. "Yes" I sighed. "But my brother didn't answer his phone. All I could do is leave a voicemail. I can't be sure that he'll show up. We haven't been on the best of terms since Gran's murder and he's not the most reliable person."

"I'm sure the V doesn't help with that." Pam stated in a bored voice.

"Pamela" There was no mistaking the command in his voice.

"What? She'll be able to smell it on him soon."

"What are you two talking about? What does Jason have to do with V?" I was really lost. And here I had hoped to stay up to speed today.

"Your brother came to Fangtasia looking for V." Eric started. I gasped and was about to protest when Pam continued.

"Before you start your whining about how that couldn't be true and blah blah blah, I glamoured him and he admitted it." My jaw had dropped and I was a little shell-shocked. Sure, Jason was an idiot but I never would have thought he'd do V. I thought he hated vampires, but I guess that didn't extend to their blood. I tried to swallow before asking the question I wasn't sure I could handle hearing the answer to. Vampires really hated V users. Luckily, Eric answered the question before I had to ask.

"He was only allowed to leave because he was your brother but that won't save him forever. The girl he left with was also only allowed to leave because she was with him." Then Eric gave me a very meaningful stare. "I suggest you take care of that issue tonight. Being your human kin will not entitle him to an endless free pass. Do you understand?"

"Yes." And I did understand. Get my brother to stop using V or he was going to be punished or killed. Shit! Could tonight get any more complicated? Maybe I shouldn't tempt fate by thinking that.

"Good." Then he turned to Pam. "Go open the club. We will be there in an hour." With that, Pam was gone without a word. I wonder if I could be Ms. Manners to her if she's going to be Dear Abby to me. I laughed a little under my breath at the thought and of course Eric noticed. When he raised an eyebrow, I just shrugged in response. He wouldn't get it.

"Let's have a seat in the other room. We have some things to discuss."

As we resumed our seats in the armchairs from the night before, I decided to bring up my list. "I realized today that I have a lot of questions."

That earned me another laugh but more of the indulgent type of laugh than one showing any real humor. "I would expect nothing less from you Sookie."

"Well, I was wondering if we could go through them."

"Not tonight. We have a lot to get done tonight but I've left tomorrow night open for a good portion of the evening so that we can get to know each other better. You can ask your questions then."

I bit my bottom lip slightly. I was worried that my definition of "get to know each other" was different from his but that was tomorrow night's issue. "Okay, but a couple of questions could come up at my house tonight. Can I ask you those? I'll be quick."

"Fine. You have five minutes." Said Mr. Impatient. He was so annoying. No one has ever gotten under my skin as badly as he does.

"My house has been in my family for 150 years and I don't trust my brother with it. I know I have to stay here but can I keep it?" I almost held my breath, as this was extremely important to me.

"I don't see the point. You need to understand that it is your past."

I interrupted him. "That is the point." I muttered and then looked down at my lap. "Please." If anything would break me, this would be the topic. I had just lost my Gran and the house and everything in it was all I had left of her. I finally risk a look at Eric after he had been silent for a couple of minutes.

He was staring at me and my intuition was saying that he was trying to read my emotions on the subject. Finally he rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. I'll have the papers drawn up and we can meet with the lawyer tomorrow."

Confusion, you are my constant companion. "What papers?"

"The VRA hasn't passed yet and it's still a mound of legal paperwork to keep the possessions you had prior to being turned. Therefore, we'll have your home placed in my name and we'll switch it back after you've been registered." He explained.

"Okay. That makes sense." And I felt a little relief as one of my most emotional concerns was out of the way. I know it's not logical that a house would be one of my biggest concerns right now but it was my tie to my human life. I needed it.

Now, for the next tie-in.

"What about my friends and brother? I know I'd have to wait for control, but will I be allowed to see them." I was fidgeting with my hands in my lap again when I mumbled, "If they still want to see me."

"I'm not going to promise either way at this point." My head snapped up at this and I was about to protest when he silenced me with a hand gesture. "Their reactions will say a lot about them and what a continued interaction with them would mean to you."

"But . . ."

"There's no point in discussing it further now Ms Stackhouse." There was the commanding tone again. "We'll talk more about it tomorrow after the meeting. Now, we need to move on."

"One more please?" I pleaded.

"Quickly"

"From what I've heard, it seems that instinct takes over a lot afterwards." He nodded and I struggled to put my concern into words. "Will I still be me?"

He furrowed his brows, "What do you mean?"

"My personality. Will I still be the same person?" He still seemed to need more explanation. "I don't know how to explain it Eric. Will I still like the same types of things? Will I be able to keep from killing people because I _don't_ want to? Will I still find the same things important? Will I still be _me_?"

"Sookie, every turn is different. Some cling to their past and some evolve. Some relish the instinctive nature of being a vampire and are extremely cruel while others can be relatively humane as long as they are not threatened." He paused thoughtfully. "As you learn more about your instincts and your abilities, you will be the one to determine who you become. You do not forget who you were or what your values were before. As stubborn as you are, you'll probably be able to hold on to most of what you want to of your old self."

"But I won't be the only one to determine what I become." I challenged. He would have complete control over me after all. Which to be honest was one of my biggest concerns.

"No, you won't be." He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "I won't allow you to cling to your past life or values to the point where they endanger your existence. However, I am not a cruel master Sookie. Forcing you to abandon yourself will only make you resentful and more difficult than you already are." He said with a lopsided grin. "So, I would say that you will be yourself but with a greater instinct and drive for survival."

I considered that and found a little bit of comfort in it so I just nodded.

"Now, we really must move on but we will address your other questions tomorrow." Then he sat back and took a deep unnecessary breath. "Sookie, what supernatural creatures do you know about besides vampires?"

"What?" I can only describe myself as shocked at the turn in conversation and its implications. "There's more?"

"Oh yes," he said with a mischievous smile. "There's a lot more." I know my mouth was hanging open but really I shouldn't be surprised. If there were vampires and telepaths, why not other creatures of legend and fairy tales?

"Okay." And it was my turn for a deep breath. "Are we talking about witches, elves, giants, werewolves, or fairies?" Maybe if I started the list it wouldn't be so hard to accept.

"Well, four out of five do exist. No, giants."

"You've got to be kidding!"

"No, I'm not and we'll go over all of them in time but right now we need to discuss two of them and one you didn't mention." He was studying me again and all I could do was nod.

"Werewolves are humans that turn into wolves during the full moon. They are strong physically but not as strong as a vampire. They're weakness is silver like a vampire and they heal quickly but not as quickly as a vampire. Weres can also shift during non-full moons but they must change at the full moon." I nodded to show I was following but I didn't really know what to say. "There are other types of weres that turn into specific animals like panthers, foxes, and the like but Werewolves consider themselves the top of the food chain as they are the most organized and so they are usually called Weres."

"Do I know any Weres or were . . .um . . . animals?" I asked hesitantly. Wouldn't I know if I read their minds?

"Well, there is a pack of were-panthers in Hot Shot if you know any of them." My jaw dropped. Hot Shot people kept to themselves mostly but they came into Merlotte's sometimes.

"Wow. I had no idea." He seemed to be thinking over that statement but moved on.

"Also, your day bodyguard, Alcide, is a werewolf. Normally we don't associate with them much as they are scum but his family owes me a debt. Since you may see him in the coming days I wanted you to know what you were dealing with."

"Is there anything else I need to know about him then?"

"Not for now. No." Then he had a mischievous look in his eyes. "Now, I know for a fact that you are close to a shapeshifter." Before I could ask whom he was referring to he kept on with his speech. "Shapeshifters are similar to weres in that they must shift during the full moon but they differ in that they can change into any animal. In this, they are considered to be more powerful than weres since they can always choose a stronger animal. However, they do not organize and tend to be loners."

"Okay. So spill, who is it?"

With a grin he replied, "Sam Merlotte."

"NU-UN. NO FREAKING WAY."

"I assure you its true. He stinks like a dog all the time. I believe that's his normal shape. I wanted you to know before you meet with him and your friends tonight. Shapeshifters and were-animals have no love for the fang. His reaction may be more volatile than you would expect." Eric seemed to be enjoying his reveal.

"I can't imagine Sam as volatile." I had to defend my friend.

"All supes are volatile Sookie if you press the right button and by the way he was looking at you when I was at the bar last night, I would say you might be the right button." He said seriously before looking thoughtful again. "If he knows about your telepathy, I'm surprised he's never told you about himself. Haven't you been able to read it from him?"

"No. Of course not." I started but then thought I might need to explain more. "Well, I normally try to stay out of people's minds to give them privacy but especially my boss. I've had to quit several jobs because my boss was always thinking about me in nasty ways."

"Who could blame them?" Apparently Eric was "ON" tonight and trying to work his charm.

"Whatever. The point is I don't normally listen, but. . . Well, sometimes I would slip and he was hard to read. I mean it was fuzzier. I'd get more emotions and some random pictures than words or true thoughts." I thought about that for a minute. "I've come across that from time to time and I just thought some people were hard to read. Do you think they were all supernaturals?"

"Supes" he corrected.

"What?"

"We call them Supes. And yes, I would venture a guess that they were supes." He seemed to be mulling that over for a minute. "Alcide has already left for the day but I'll ask him to come to the door at noon tomorrow. I'd like you to see what his mind feels like to you."

"Okay." I didn't know how I felt about being alone with a werewolf that I'd never met but I was guessing that Eric wouldn't have him here if he didn't trust him around me.

Eric seemed to be reading my mind. "Don't worry. He won't do anything. He knows I'd kill his entire family if anything happens to you. I've made that clear."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better, Eric! I don't want people dying because of me. That's how we got here to begin with!" I said indignantly.

"Well, then perhaps it will ensure that you don't do anything stupid to endanger your life since you wouldn't want the guilt of causing other deaths." His reply was like ice.

"That's not the point" I started to argue and just like the night before he was in front of me in a flash. He was sitting on the edge of the coffee table again, leaning towards me with his elbows on his knees. I couldn't really read his facial expression. It wasn't exactly angry but there was anger mixed in with something else that I couldn't identify.

"Sookie, you are going to have to accept the fact that there is nothing more important to me than my own life and that of my progenies. If someone else must die to protect you or because they caused you harm, then I will see it done. It may offend you and may cause you to be angry with me but it WILL be done." His voice became less steely as he studied me from his position less than six inches from my face. "Would you not kill, Sookie, to protect yourself, your family, or your children?"

This conversation had gotten intense very quickly. Eric had said and revealed a lot in those few sentences. Pam had been kidding around calling us Daddy and Sister but I just laughed it off as jokes and Pam being Pam. I hadn't thought of any real meaning behind it. Also, there was Eric's comfort last night in telling me I would never have to be alone again. Now, he was comparing his feelings of protection towards me as those a human would have towards their family. I never really thought vampires related to each other that way. There was something to add to my list of questions for tomorrow, but for right now I needed to answer his question.

Would I kill someone to protect myself? The thought of taking someone's life sent chills down my back, but . . . but I would not stand there and let someone kill me without trying to survive. Sure, I wouldn't want to kill them but if I had to do so to live and there was no other way – I would do it. I would probably feel horrible afterwards but at least I would be alive.

As for family, I only had to think of Gran to have my answer. If I had been there when Rene attacked, I would have killed him in an instant without a second thought. I shuddered a little at the thought of the inevitable feeling of satisfaction that I would have had if I had been able to kill Rene in order to save Gran. I was a terrible Christian.

But I would have done it.

"Yes, Eric. I would do it." He nodded and returned to his seat.

There was a silence that loomed after that conversation and I needed to move on and remove the emotional charge that still hung in the air. "So, we covered were-animals and shapeshifters. What's the third supe that we need to cover tonight?"

"Well Ms. Stackhouse, what do you know about Fairies?"

"You mean Tinkerbelle?" I laughed but Eric's serious gaze made me take a step back and try to be more serious. "Well, all I know is from movies and fairytales. So, tiny things with wings that look human, beautiful, magical, and they die if you don't believe in them." I couldn't help but giggle again at the end of my list. If he told me that clapping would bring them back to life I _WOULD_ fall out of my seat laughing regardless of the consequences.

"Beautiful and magical – yes. The rest of the things on your list are just children's tales." So, no clapping I'm sure. I was still trying to control myself and not laugh at my thoughts when Eric continued my education. "While fairies have very human traits and can pass for humans, they are much more beautiful than any human and they have pointed ears - although, they can usually hide their ears behind their hair. Also, like you said, they are magical. In fact, they are the most magical supe since their magic is natural and not acquired like most witches. Magic is what they are not what they learn."

"So, are you going to tell me I know a fairy now because I haven't seen any pointed ears?" I had to keep a sense of humor at this point. My whole reality was being thrown out the window.

"You don't know any full blooded fairies that I know of." He said carefully and his carefulness was making me weary of where this conversation was going. "Fairies have an intoxicating effect on Vampires. The scent of a full-blooded fairy makes it nearly impossible for vampires to control themselves and they will attack and drain the fairy. Afterwards, the fairy's blood is so intoxicating that the vampire will drain and fuck anything they encounter until the effects wear off."

"I guess that would explain why I don't know any fairies since I'm always around vamps. My guess is they hide from you?" I would if I were them.

"Fairies are very secretive but they are also very strong. I wouldn't say they hide so much as they avoid us. They are not cowards and they are very prideful. Too prideful in fact. But they also have their own realm that they can live in instead of in our realm."

"HOLD UP. Did you say REALM? Like another dimension." Again, I suppose this shouldn't surprise me since we were talking about mythological creatures that were not myths but _come on._

"Realm, not dimension – but that's not something we need to dwell on at the moment." Right, alter my understanding of the universe but don't explain. He was so annoying. "Fairies and vampires obviously do not mingle and we have a long history of conflicts and wars. So much so that the fairy population is not nearly as large as it once was but that isn't completely due to vampires. They have problems of their own as well. Anyway, we have existed without war for the past couple of centuries since we established a treaty after the last war to ban purposeful hunting of fairies."

"Alright. So, once I'm a vampire I need to avoid fairies." I had a slight question in my voice because I was trying to understand the purpose of the fairy history lesson. The Were and shapeshifter lessons had a reason but it didn't seem like we'd come to the point with fairies yet.

"Sookie, do you have an allergy to lemons or iron?" he asked while leaning forward again.

"Huh? I thought we were talking about fairies?"

"Sookie" There was the commanding tone again.

"Fine. No I don't, but what does that have to do with anything." He was the most annoying, confusing, and infuriating person - vampire or not - that I had ever met. It was impossible to follow his thought pattern and stay on top of a conversation.

"Iron and lemons are deadly to fairies." He replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, but why would you ask me . . ." The look on his face made me stop. "ERIC! You can't be trying to tell me I'm a fairy. I don't have pointed ears, I obviously don't know any magic or I'd get myself out of all the shit that I get myself into, and I've been bitten by vamps without being drained or fucked to death!"

"Sookie, I said those things are true about full-blooded fairies. They are not true of human/fairy hybrids. I distinctly tasted fairy in your blood last night."

"That's impossible Eric. All of my relatives were human."

"How do you know Sookie? You thought you were only human." He countered smugly.

Could he be right? I mean I never even knew fairies existed. How would I know if any of my relatives had been fairies?

"Wouldn't I have been able to read it in their minds? I knew my grandparents and my parents. They never thought about fairies and their minds weren't any different from normal humans. They weren't fuzzy like weres." I protested. I was trying to accept that the world was different from what I thought it was, but being told that I wasn't what I thought I was is a whole different ball game.

"Maybe one of your relatives had an affair with a fairy. They are very seductive." I was about to protest when he continued. "Or maybe the fairy blood goes further back in your lineage. It's not really strong in your blood or it would have been harder to control myself. I would say either a grandparent or great-grandparent."

"I don't really know what to say about all that Eric. Don't I have enough to deal with already?" I slumped back into my chair. As if I didn't have enough going on with becoming a vampire and all, now I find out that I was never completely human to begin with. "Wait. Why are you telling me this now? Does being part-fairy cause problems with me being turned?"

Eric sighed. "I don't know and that's part of the problem."

"Well that's a relief" I was rewarded with a death glare. "I mean to hear you admit that you don't know something. I was starting to wonder." The glare wasn't going away. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I've never known a part-fae that was turned or heard of it being done. It probably has happened but I've just never seen it." I could tell he was annoyed by this fact and he started pacing in front of the fireplace. "I don't like going into this without knowing what's going to happen. I haven't survived this long without being prepared. I could ask some older vampires but that may or may not yield results and it would take too long and could cause other problems. So, the only option I have is to try to call an old fae contact and see if he'll give me some information. The problem is that he might get angry."

"Why?"

"The fae are very protective of their own kind. He will not be happy that I'm turning you even if you're only part-fae and he is very powerful. But since I can say it's consensual I'm hoping that will placate him."

"I don't see that it's any of his business." I replied stubbornly.

Eric looked at me then with a half smile. "I'm surprised at you Sookie. I would think you would see this as a possibility of an 'out'."

"I keep my word Eric." My response had a little ice in it.

"Just like fairies." He mumbled.

"What?"

"Fairies are extremely devious and secretive, but if they give their word then they always keep it."

"Oh." Odd to have that in common with a species I'd never had contact with. At least not that I knew of.

Eric was still pacing slowly and we had been silent for a few minutes. My brain was on overload and I was ready to end this particular conversation.

"So, what now?" I asked.

Eric stopped pacing and looked at the clock on the wall. "Now, we go to Fantasia so I can take care of a couple of things and then we go to your house." Great. Way to raise my stress level.

"And the fairies?" I asked as we walked towards the garage.

"I'll call Niall later."

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A/N: I know you all are anxious for the meeting at Sookie's house. We are getting there. I promise. Next up we have the Fangtasia and maybe the drive to Sookie's.

Please review. I was nervous about this chapter because it had to relate a lot of stuff known to most TB/SVM fans and I didn't want it to be boring. Let me know how you thought it went.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: You all know I love you so I'll skip the long note and get right to it. This is a short chapter but I felt it needed to stand on its own. Enjoy and don't forget to feed my review addiction!

Oh, and as much as I wish I could take credit, I don't own anything.

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It was still a little early for the bar crowd since it was just past 9PM when we arrived at Fangtasia. I only noticed a few cars as we passed the customer parking and my guess would be that they belonged to the "hard core" fangbangers.

Suddenly my stomach dropped and I felt overwhelmingly nauseous. Why hadn't I thought of that? Fangbangers. I was going to have to feed on them. I was going to have to come here and be part of the show for them. They would be food for me. They would expect sex from me. My breathing was speeding up and I was feeling the flight instinct overtake me more than ever before. What had I done?

I felt a hand on my knee and I jumped slightly in my seat in Eric's corvette. "Sookie? What's wrong?"

Oh, I was just realizing that Fangtasia was going to be my new McDonald's for the McPeople. Couldn't really say that could I? So I just looked out the window and mumbled "Nothing." I'm sure I wasn't at all convincing.

Of course, Eric wouldn't stand for that response. He took his hand off my knee and placed it under my chin so that he could turn my face to look at him. "You're panicking. This is the first time you've panicked and I don't understand what caused it."

"I . . . its . . . well . . . uh." I couldn't finish any thought. I really just wanted out of the car and away. My chest felt like my heart was going to beat out of it and I was feeling overwhelmingly claustrophobic.

"Breathe, Sookie." Eric was actually trying to be soothing. If I wasn't freaking out I might find that a little touching or funny, but right now I did need to breathe or I was going to hyperventilate. I closed my eyes and tried to just concentrate on my breathing for a minute and forget everything else. Slowly, I began to calm down a little.

"Good. Now, can you tell me what upset you?" he started in a quiet tone and it was obvious he was hoping not to set me off again. "I can't help if you don't tell me."

I opened my eyes to look at him and I could see that he was really trying to figure out how to help me. Surprisingly there was no annoyance on his face – at least at the moment.

"I . . . " I started but didn't really know how to explain this to a vampire so I took another deep breath before starting. "Eric, I think for the next couple of days certain things are just going to hit me that I hadn't thought about or I had realized them but not really considered the reality of it all." I was hoping that would be enough of an explanation and I wouldn't have to explain that I hadn't come to terms with the most basic principle of being a vampire – feeding. I was so wrapped up in everything else that I'd completely ignored that basic, very important, fundamental fact. I was going to be a parasite. Fangbangers were going to try to get me to bite them and I would enjoy it. Jesus Christ, I was right back on the ledge again and I think I was toppling over it.

"I don't know if I can do this. I'm completely freaking out." I had pulled my chin out of his hand and buried my tear-streaked face in my hands.

I felt his hand on my hair as he quietly questioned, "Sookie?"

"Don't. Just don't Eric." I sobbed.

"Sookie" That damn commanding tone was all it took and I lost control completely. My face came out of my hands and I was livid.

"Shut up!" I could tell by the look on his face that he was surprised but that was quickly followed by anger and I just didn't care. What did it matter? What was he going to do? Kill me! HA! So, I just continued down the path I'd started. "Just shut up! SHUT UP!" I yelled and with that I got out of the car and slammed the door.

Only to find a very angry Viking in my face.

"YOU WILL NOT TALK TO ME LIKE THAT. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" he growled.

I laughed. God help me – I freakin' laughed. "What are you going to do Sherriff? Kill me!" And before he could respond I had crumbled to the ground beside his car and I couldn't tell you which I was doing more of – laughing or crying. I was hysterical.

I felt him pick me up and I started pushing him away and trying to beat at his chest but of course that got me nowhere. My eyes were blurry with tears so I couldn't see where we were going nor did I really care. I was past all reason and falling down the rabbit hole.

The next thing I knew I was out of Eric's arms and on the floor somewhere. I curled up in a ball.

And then I was freezing.

"What the hell Eric?" I said as I tried to stand up. He had placed me in the employee shower and turned the cold water on. I was drenched and trying to get away but he just pushed me back down.

"You will stay there until you tell me what this is about and you have gained control of yourself again." He ordered as he towered over me from his place beside the shower.

"Damn it just let me out!" I yelled.

"Not until you tell me." He commanded.

"NO"

"You will tell me." His voice was as icy as the water.

"No" This time it was more of a sob and a whimper than a yell and I was resting my head on my arms which were crossed on top of my bent knees. I was shaking from the chill caused by the cold water.

"I am just as stubborn as you, Sookie. We will stay here until you tell me." He growled.

"Stop, please stop." As Pam predicted, I was begging and crying. "I just . . . I don't . . . please just stop."

"Tell me." He was crouched down beside the shower now and his tone had softened. The less intimidating position and tone just caused it all to come spilling out from my jittering teeth.

"Please let me mainstream . . . and drink True Blood." I said between sobs without raising my head. "I just . . . I can't . . .The Fangbangers . . . I don't . . . " I couldn't finish a sentence.

Eric surprised me then by pulling me out of the shower and onto his lap in the floor of the bathroom. He had a towel and he wrapped it around me as I continued to cry into his chest while he stroked my hair.

When my sobbing had quieted and there were just a few stray tears falling, Eric lifted me up, turned off the shower, and carried me into his office. He laid me down on the black leather couch by his desk and walked towards a closet. We still hadn't spoken since I'd confessed the cause of my panic attack and I wasn't sure what to make of that fact.

Laying a large red Fangtasia t-shirt beside me, he stated evenly, "You need to dry off and put this on. It's long enough to cover you. I'll send Pam to get you some more clothes. I'll be back in a minute."

I wasn't going to argue with him on this point. I was soaking wet and cold. As soon as he closed the door I stripped out of my clothes and finished drying off with the extra towel he'd laid out. When I pulled the t-shirt on I was relieved to see that he was right. It came down to my knees so it covered everything and easily concealed the fact that I had nothing on underneath. I found a red Fangtasia blanket in a package by his desk and decided that I shouldn't feel guilty about opening it. After all, it was Eric and Pam's club.

So, I was on the couch wrapped up in the blanket with my knees under my bottom when Eric came back in carrying a gin and tonic. I noticed that he had changed into dry clothes as well.

"I thought you might need a drink." He stated as he handed me the glass and sat down on the couch in the opposite corner.

"Thank you." I didn't look him in the eye when I said that but I hoped he understood I was saying thank you for more than the drink. I was embarrassed by how I reacted and lost control. While I didn't appreciate the cold shower, I did appreciate the comfort that followed.

We both sat there in silence for a couple of minutes and I didn't really want to be the one to break it this time. So, I just continued sipping on my drink until it was gone. I looked for a place to set the glass but Eric reached to take it. After sitting the glass down on the corner of his desk, he turned back to me. I could tell he was ready to talk, but I still wasn't ready to meet his eyes.

"Sookie, I've already told you that you have no reason to be embarrassed around me. I know you are a strong person but frankly I was more worried that you hadn't lost control yet." With that statement my eyes met his questioningly. "Normally I would have expected it the night you rose vampire, but that would be because you wouldn't have known what was happening. It was very rare before the Great Revelation that humans knew they were being turned. Now, well . . . things are different and if I had to choose whether you dealt with your change before or after you were turned, then I'd much rather we handle it before."

"Why?" It was the only thing I could think to say.

"As I told you before, newly risen vampires are extremely emotional already and act on pure instinct. If we can deal with some of your emotions beforehand, then it will make it easier for both of us after." I just nodded in response.

Eric sighed before continuing. I seemed to make him sigh a lot lately. "As for your request." Immediately I tensed. "I will honor your request as much as I can."

"What does that mean?" I asked quietly.

"Sookie, synthetic blood may not always be available. You will have to know how to feed on humans." I shuddered slightly and started to protest. "It's also for their safety."

Now, that was confusing. How does my feeding on humans equate to making them safer? "How does that make sense, Eric?"

"Synthetic blood taste and smells like shit. If you were injured and a human was nearby or you were exposed to an injured human while you were hungry, you would be more inclined to lose control since it was more appetizing than what you were used to." He explained reasonably. "Also, if you don't learn how to feed properly, you wouldn't learn control and would be more likely to kill the human than just feed on them."

I considered what he was saying and it was very logical. I didn't want to lose control and kill anyone and at least I wouldn't have to feed on humans all the time. Maybe if I could focus on the safety angle then I could make it through the lessons.

"Okay" I said softly. "I can handle that I think."

Eric reached across the couch and held my hand. "See, I can be reasonable if you just ask me for what you need."

I gave him a small smile and a nod before removing my hand to wrap the blanket back around me. Pam chose that moment to join us in the office.

"I've decided that I'm going to buy Sookie a wardrobe to keep here. She's only been here three times and twice she's needed new clothes." She said as she threw a bag onto the couch beside me and placed her hand on her hip. "Seriously, Sookie. If you're going to ruin your clothes, you should at least do so with more _pleasurable_ activities."

"Thanks Pam. I appreciate the clothes and advice." I said as I stood up and put the small duffle bag over my shoulder. "I'm just going to go change."

"Sookie, come right back when you're done. We've still got some things to take care of here and we have to make it to Bon Temps by 11:00."

I just nodded and started out the office door.

"Oh Sissy?" Pam called and I turned to glare at her. "I told you so." She smirked at me and I knew she was talking about her stages of grief comment from earlier in the night. "Never doubt our Dear Ms Abby again." I just rolled my eyes and closed the door behind me.

Luckily I made it to the bathroom without anyone seeing me. Pam had brought me another pair of jeans and a black wrap shirt with a deep V-Neck that was sexy but not slutty. I was thankful that she thought to bring undergarments, shoes, and a hair dryer. I was dressed and back in the office in about 15 minutes. With the recent infusion of Eric's blood, I didn't really need make-up.

Pam and Eric were talking about a missing vampire when I walked back into the office. Pam was sitting on the couch and Eric was sitting behind his desk. I didn't want to interrupt them so I just walked back over to the couch and sat down with Pam. Apparently, the missing vampire, Eddie, hadn't shown up for his last two shifts at Fangtasia. The previous vampire in my life had told me that Eric required every vampire in his area to put in appearances at Fangtasia to keep the tourist and Fangbangers entertained.

"Why don't you go by his house and I'll take Sookie to Bon Temps?" Pam asked. "Honestly, since you can feel her emotions it may be healthier for her friends if you weren't there. And maybe you can track Eddie down while we're handling the loose ends at her house."

"No, I should be there." Eric argued.

"Eric, I appreciate your wanting to be there but it probably isn't going to be the easiest thing for me and if you're not going to be able to control yourself when my emotions are all over the place, then I'd rather Pam take me." He looked like he was going to protest so I added. "Please, tonight's going to be hard enough for me without worrying that you're going to go all Viking on my friends."

"Fine. I'll go see if Eddie's just being lazy or if there's any sign that he's gotten himself in trouble. There's no one else here tonight that I'd really trust to investigate properly. Eddie's a waste of a vampire so I wouldn't be surprised if drainers preyed on him. And we do need to know if there's a new team of drainers in town." Eric seemed resigned to Pam's plan and it did sound safer for my friends. "But I will join you in Bon Temps when I'm done" then he exchanged a meaningful look with Pam. "I do expect you to keep things from getting out of hand."

"Of course Master. I think I can handle a couple of humans and a shifter." She replied with a fangy smile.

"I don't think that will be necessary Pam." I said calmly. At least I really hoped it wasn't.

"Never the less, Pam will be there to ensure it doesn't go too far." Eric replied as he picked up his cell phone. "But before we all leave, let me call the damn fairy to see what I can learn."

Suddenly there was a 'pop' sound and someone else was in the room standing in front of Eric's desk.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Vampire."

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A/N: Uh-oh . . . who do you think it is? What do you think is going on?

Review, review, review . . .


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I am such the review junkie. I apologize for not responding to reviews last chapter. First, I was afraid I would give away the cliffhanger. Also, I've had family in town for the past few days. Sorry for leaving you all hanging for so long. I've been playing with this chapter for several days and I'm still not in love with it but I finally just decided to post it. I hope it was worth the wait. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, wish I did.

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_**Last time: **_

"_Never the less, Pam will be there to ensure it doesn't go too far." Eric replied as he picked up his cell phone. "But before we all leave, let me call the damn fairy to see what I can learn."_

_Suddenly there was a 'pop' sound and someone else was in the room standing in front of Eric's desk. _

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you, Vampire."_

_

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_

Eric and Pam were on their feet before I could blink, but then – nothing. As I looked at them, it appeared that they were unable to move at all. Me? I'd barely had time to comprehend the fact that someone had appeared out of thin air. I never even thought about trying to move.

"Now, Now Viking. First rule of peaceful vampire-fairy relations - no attacking the fairy." The intruder said with a small smile and . . .WAIT – _fairy_?

Before I could contemplate meeting my first fairy, my thoughts were drawn back to the scene in front of me as I watched the stranger's arms spread in a peaceful gesture, "As you can see, I could easily stake you now as you are unable to move, but I have not done so. Therefore, I am obviously not here to harm you. So, can we agree with rule number one?"

The stranger must have partially lifted the force holding Eric in place since I saw him nod his head curtly, but Eric's eyes still held murder. Anyone who has ever met Eric should know that he hates being at a disadvantage and I would also guess that he hates surprises.

"Good. Good." The fairy responded and with those words, Pam and Eric seemed to be freed. Pam growled slightly but a warning glance from Eric had her facial expression back to its normal look of boredom. "Rule number two, no one outside of this room must ever know I was here." With rule number two the trespasser showed the first sign of aggression as the friendly tone of voice that started the encounter was replaced with a voice of steel.

"I don't take kindly to fairies popping into my office unannounced and imposing rules on me and mine." Eric growled menacingly.

"Understandable but it was unavoidable." The stranger shrugged and then sighed, "I'd hoped to avoid any involvement at all but its better that I'm involved than the Prince."

I thought I saw Eric stiffen before he looked thoughtful and asked, "I have seen you with the Prince before, at the peace accord that ended the last war, but I didn't get your name." He added carefully. "Who are you?"

"I am Fintan. The Prince's son." As he introduced himself, he produced a wooden chair out of thin air and had a seat in front of Eric's desk with his chair slightly turned towards the couch were I was still seated. "So, are we agreed with the rules so that we can move on? I cannot stay long. It is too dangerous." His proclamation and seated position seemed to lessen the tension slightly. Therefore, after Eric nodded again in acceptance of the fairy's terms, he and Pam slowly resumed their seats. There were a few moments of silence as Eric continued to regard the visitor so I took that time to scrutinize the first fairy I'd ever met and compare him to Eric's description.

He was about six feet tall with blue eyes and long, straight blonde hair that was flowing freely to the middle of his back. He was muscular but in an understated sort of way – not like a body builder or anything. I would guess that he was about 30 or 35 years old and he was dressed in khaki pants, a navy blue button-down shirt, and brown leather dress shoes. He really looked like any normal human male except outrageously handsome. But if he was a fairy . . .

"I thought fairies had pointed ears?" Oops. I didn't mean to say that out loud and I immediately blushed. But, as soon as I noticed his ears were round like a human's the words just tumbled out.

Eric shot me a look but Fintan laughed loudly and good-naturedly. "That's very true of full fairies." He answered me before looking at Eric and raising an eyebrow, "I, on the other hand, am half-human." And something about his tone seemed ominous.

Eric's eyes were still on me until Fintan's last declaration. When he declared himself half-human, Eric's eyes widened and were immediately locked with the Fairy's. The two of them seemed to be having a silent conversation that I really wished I understood.

"Is that so?" Eric finally asked with a flat tone.

"Indeed it is." Fintan answered without inflection. "So, Viking. Have you done the math and figured out why I'm here?"

After a moment, Eric answered in the same flat tone as before, "She is yours." I noticed Pam stiffen beside me.

"That she is." was his only answer. It sounds crazy but I was just starting to comprehend that I was the "she" they were talking about. Hey, I'd had a long couple of days. I couldn't be expected to keep up with everything with the break-neck pace we'd been going for the last . . . wow, had it really only been twenty-four hours.

Before, I could build up my steam to yell at them for talking about me like I wasn't there and like I was a possession, Eric handed out another whammy, "So she is of the Royal line?"

"Very true." The fairy answered.

What the hell? It was bad enough to be talked about like I wasn't here and like I was something to be owned. Now, I was not only a telepathic, part-fairy, but they expected me to believe I was somehow royalty. A small town barmaid – royalty. Seriously? And who the hell was this guy anyway to say 'I was his.'

Laugh, cry, or get angry? I didn't need to think about it. I was on my feet in the next second.

"Can you both stop talking about me like I'm not here since it's obvious that I'm the 'she' in question?" I'd chosen anger.

"Sookie, sit down." Eric barked at me.

"The hell I will." I responded and I ignored his growl as I stepped towards my self-proclaimed relative. I was betting that Eric wouldn't actually do anything to me with my supposed fairy relative in the room. "Who do you think you are showing up in here saying that 'I'm yours'? I don't know you and I've never heard of you. I know my family line back four generations and there is no mention of a Fintan. Eric's told me that I have fairy blood and I suppose I have to accept that but why should we believe that it comes from you?" Before he could respond, I added, "And if it is from you, then why come forward now and not sooner?"

Infuriatingly enough, Fintan had started smiling at the beginning of my angry speech and his smile just continued to grow until I finished. That just made me madder.

"And why the HELL are you smiling?" I yelled and I would have taken another step towards him but Pam grabbed by arm and pulled me back down on the sofa.

"You are so much like Adele." He laughed and my jaw dropped. "Oh, I know that she got better at controlling her anger as she got older and only directed it to where it was needed, but she was a hellcat when she was younger. She could get in my face and have me backing up several steps with just words alone." He smiled reminiscently before adding forlornly, "It was one of the many things that made me fall in love with her."

My grandmother? He was in love with my Gran? Was he implying that she . .

"So, you had an affair with her grandmother?" Eric interrupted my thoughts.

"Yes. Her husband was unable to give her the children that they both so desperately wanted." He turned to answer Eric.

"You're lying." I said angrily. I wouldn't listen to lies about my grandmother. "She would never cheat on my granddaddy. She was an honest woman and I won't listen to your lies about her." I knew my grandmother and, like me, she was loyal to a fault.

"Sookie" he said soothingly. "Her husband wanted children as badly as she did and he was carrying an incredible amount of guilt that he was the reason that they couldn't have children. An illness from his childhood prevented him from giving life to another."

"Are you trying to say that my Gran cheated on her husband and lied to him about her children to make him feel better?" My voice was gaining volume with ever word. No one insulted my family. I tried to get up again but Pam's hand on my arm held me still.

"No, I'm saying your Grandfather gave his permission." My jaw dropped again and I knew my eyes showed my shock and anger, but before I could start yelling again he continued. "I don't have time to go into the whole story and I'm sorry for that, but after meeting Adele I was taken with her almost immediately. I visited her on a friendly basis for weeks and found out about their problem. I finally resolved myself to speak to her husband. I knew she would never leave him but I did love her and wanted to give her want she wanted." He looked thoughtful and then continued, "I suspect his guilt was part of the reason he gave his permission but he did give it to both of us. His only condition was that he not recall my involvement. I was easily able to grant his request with a little magic. After the initial agreement, he never knew that Linda or Corbett were not his blood."

I couldn't comprehend what he was telling me. It rocked the foundation of so many beliefs about my family and my life. How could I believe this stranger's story over a lifetime of love and memories with my family? I would have known. I was a telepath for goodness sake. OH!

I could tell that Eric was about to change the subject but I wasn't done or convinced. "If what you are saying were true, I would have heard my Gran think about it. You can't tell me that she wouldn't have thought about you or fairies at all for the last 25 years." I said defiantly and I could see Eric raise his eyebrow, as he too seemed interested in Fintan's explanation.

Fintan looked a little sheepish but proud as he said, "Guilty" before I could take that to mean that I was right and he was lying, he clarified. "Right after your aunt was born, it became too dangerous for me to interact with your family, but I placed wards of protection over you all and I kept watch. Once I saw that you were telepathic, which was around the time you were two, I visited Adele. Telepathy isn't a fairy trait but I knew that once you were older you would learn the secret of your family's background from her mind. I asked if she wanted you to be able to see it or if she wanted me to shield her thoughts." Then he gave a little self-satisfied smile. "It was tricky but I worked some magic to only hide her thoughts of fairies and the origin of her children."

I was deflated. What more could I argue? And even if I could, I'd lost the energy to do so. I was starting to feel numb again so I just slumped back in the couch and stared off into space.

Eric took the opportunity to start his own line of questioning. "So, the telepathy isn't from her fairy side. Do you know were it comes from?"

I had noticed from the corner of my eye that Fintan had been studying me with a look of concern on his face. However, he turned back to Eric to answer his question. "I was curious as well and I traced back several generations on all sides of her lineage. It turns out that seven generations ago one of her mother's ancestors was a natural witch." My eyes flew back to Fintan and Pam actually let out a small laugh.

"Sissy you are such a supe mutt." Pam said with a smile.

Fintan didn't appreciate her humor and he turned to glare at her with glowing eyes and a severe face. "DO NOT INSULT MY BLOOD VAMPIRE."

Pam stopped laughing and her fangs snapped out as she stared back at the fairy.

"Pamela. Retract your fangs." Eric commanded and immediately Pam relaxed back into the couch beside me.

"She meant no real offense. They both enjoy prodding each other whenever possible." Eric said as a means to diffuse the situation and I thought I could help a little. Afterall, she seemed to be right about me being a mutt.

"Don't worry Grandfather." I was being the southern belle now so I decided to lay it on thick. "Pam's really a big fan of Dear Abby but I intend to introduce her to Ms. Manners. Together, we'll get her all straightened out." My joke worked and he started laughing but I got a downright terrifying glare from Pam – which I chose to ignore.

"I've heard tales before that natural witches were often telepathic but isn't that a rather remote relation?" Eric was trying to get us back on track.

"Yes but I'm guessing that the combination of the magic she carries as a part-fey with the essential spark awakened that part of her genetic makeup." He explained. "But I really do need to get back to the reason I'm here."

"Which is?" Eric asked as he straightened up.

"To answer your questions about turning my granddaughter thus removing any reason for you contact my father." He explained.

Eric looked shocked and skeptical. "You are not here to interfere with her change?"

"She has agreed and I will not force her to break her word." Fintan answered firmly. I guess this was the whole 'fairies always keep their word' thing that Eric told me about earlier. To be honest, I hadn't even gotten around to thinking about the possibility that I had an 'out' to the whole vampire situation.

"And why is it that you are keeping this from the Prince?" Eric was suspicious and I have to admit that I was too.

"Vampire, it's very complicated but know that it is simply too dangerous in the Fae realm right now for anyone but me to be involved in Sookie's life. Truthfully, I have already been here too long tonight and cannot explain further at this time. I can visit Sookie tomorrow while you rest to explain more and she can convey it all to you."

"Absolutely not."

"You think you can keep me from my blood?" Fintan challenged with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"She will be in my home and I will not have a fairy in my home while I rest." Eric argued.

"Well, then you shouldn't have her in your home." He laughed. "A fairy can find their relatives anywhere. I could have popped into your kitchen when you rose at first dark if I wanted, but I thought you would find that more offensive than your office."

Eric stiffened at his declaration before asking, "Then what's to keep the Prince from getting involved?"

Fintan shrugged and said, "He doesn't know she exist."

"But you said . . . " I started but he interrupted.

"I've used magic to shield you and your family for years. It magic that only your bloodline can invoke, but I'll explain more of that tomorrow as well." Turning back to Eric he explained. "I am the only fairy that can find her and obviously I mean you no harm."

"It doesn't seem that saying no will mean anything to you." Eric growled between gritted teeth and Fintan appeared to be trying not to look smug. My fairy relation was really pushing his buttons and I have to admit that I was enjoying it a little bit. "Can I assume that you will mask your scent while in my home and be gone before I rise?"

He laughed. "Noticed that did you? That was a nice little piece of inherited magic from my father – masking my scent. Comes in really handy around your kind." He smiled as he stood up. "No scent and don't overstay my welcome. I can agree to those terms."

"And the answer to my questions?" Eric prompted as he stood as well.

"There have not been many with Fae blood that have been turned. They are usually drained." He added the last part grimly before continuing, "Each of the few occurrences that I'm aware of have turned out differently. However, I know that Sookie's fae blood will not prevent the change." Fintan waved his hand and the chair disappeared. "To be fair though, I should tell you that she could be just like any normal vampire or her fairy spark could translate into additional powers once she's turned." Great. I could be a freak as a vampire too.

"Really?" Eric said with a smile as he appraised me. "Like what?"

"There are many possibilities but I must go. I will pass them along tomorrow." Turning towards me, he bowed his head slightly. "Granddaughter, I will see you tomorrow at 2PM." And with a 'pop' he was gone.

Eric walked around his desk and leaned against the front of it with his arms crossed and his legs stretched out in front of him. "Sookie, do you have any other supernatural relatives that I should know about?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." I mumbled.

"Just know that I draw the line at sharing a bloodline with anyone who has shifter or Were blood." Pam shuddered with disgust.

"We'll then, I'll see if I can dig up some old werewolf ancestor just to annoy you." I quipped back.

"Enough." Eric stated while he reached for his jacket. "We are running out of time due to our visitor. We need to leave or Sookie will be late to her meeting."

With Eric's declaration, the butterflies returned to my stomach as I remembered what my night still had in store for me. It had been such a long night already. Were supernatural's lives always like this?

I followed Pam and Eric out of the office and into the parking lot behind Fangtasia.

"Pamela, keep things in line and don't let her do anything impulsive." Eric commanded with a glare in my direction. "I will meet you there once I finish at Eddie's."

Eric started to walk towards his corvette but I had one more question, "I can tell them the whole story, right?" Normally, I wouldn't give a hoot what Eric wanted me to do or not, but I didn't want to say anything that would end up putting my friends in danger.

Turning back towards me, he advised, "Don't mention specifics about our hierarchy or laws but you can tell them that you made the decision to help another."

I was hesitant to ask the next question, but it would come up. "They are going to ask about Bill." I stated while looking at the ground.

"Explain that he betrayed you and only wanted you for your skills but no mention of the Queen." Well, that was brutal and it hurt badly. I couldn't really voice an acknowledgement to his order so I just nodded. I think he must have felt my reaction to his statement and he looked like he was about to say something else. However, his cell phone rang at that moment and he pulled it out to look at the display.

"Hon hörde Slutligen verkar det" Apparently Eric didn't want me knowing what was going on. As if the language wasn't enough, they were talking very fast. Both of those things were going to get old quickly.

"Det tog längre tid än du förväntade dig?" Pam responded.

"Ja, det kunde betyda många olika saker" Eric seemed thoughtful as he continued towards his car. "I will see you in Bon Temps later."

With those words, Eric got into his car to answer his phone and go to Eddie's house while Pam and I got into her minivan and headed towards what I was fearing would be a showdown at the Stackhouse corral.

* * *

Translation:

Hon hörde Slutligen verkar det – "It seems she finally heard"

Det tog längre tid än du förväntade dig – "It took longer than you expected."

Ja, det kunde betyda många olika saker – "Yes, That could mean many different things"

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A/N: I'd planned on making this chapter a little longer and including the car ride to Bon Temps but I thought you would appreciate an update sooner rather than later. Please don't forget to feed my review addiction and let me know what you thought of the chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Don't hunt me down. I fully intended for this chapter to include the meeting at Sookie's house but I felt it stood on its own better. Plus, I won't be able to write anymore for a couple of days so I wanted to give you a little fix. I hope you like the chapter and I promise the next chapter will start the meeting at Sookie's.

Please be sure to hit the review button. It keeps me inspired and I'm interested to see what you think of this chapter.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. I just like to play in the Sandbox with the characters.

* * *

"What language was that?" I finally asked Pam as we pulled on to the interstate. I didn't specify which language I was talking about. I knew she would understand that I was talking about the language she and Eric always spoke in when they didn't want me to know what they were saying.

"Swedish."

"So, how long before I get to learn it so that you two stop talking over me?" I said disgruntled.

"He started my Swedish lessons as soon as I'd learned to feed. It's a strategic advantage for us to talk in front of others but not be understood. I'm sure he'll want to be able to do the same with you."

"I fail to see why you both need a strategic advantage over me at the moment." I replied with a huff.

"True. Right now it's for your own good." She replied coolly.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means if you need to know then you'll be told. Otherwise, you should just focus on the items you already have to deal with." I would almost say I was getting a lecture. Then Pam added with a devilish smirk, "Besides, Eric and I have ten different languages that we can communicate in. So, even once you learn his language we will still be able to talk over you little sister."

"Why do you have to be so annoying?" I gritted out between my teeth.

"I'm just trying to fulfill my new role as big sister to the best of my ability." She replied flatly but I could hear the mirth behind it.

"So, I guess you won't tell me what the deal was with the phone call Eric got before we left?"

"Correct."

"Then I'm going to rest since it's already been a long night and it only 10:00." And with that I closed my eyes and tried to relax and prepare for what was to come and absorb what had already happened.

I was a part-fairy telepathic princess with an ancestor who was a natural witch – whatever that was – and my Gran had an affair that my granddaddy agreed to allow. Oh, and in a couple of nights I get to add vampire to the words that describe me. How is anyone really supposed to process and accept all of that in a twenty-four hour timeframe? So many of my basic beliefs about my family and myself were all of the sudden no longer true? What was I suppose to do with all this new information? Of course, I was just expected to accept it all and believe what everyone was telling me. What was my alternative? Its not like I could go get a DNA test to confirm Fintan's story or go talk to any family members that may know the story.

Well, that made me wonder. Do I have other relatives besides Fintan and this Prince they kept talking about? Does Fintan have other children? Will he meet with Jason too? Hmmm . . . Fintan said not to mention his visit. Also, he kept talking about hiding us and how dangerous everything was in the Fairy world. I wonder how I play into that. I guess I'll just add that to my list of questions to ask him. It would probably be a good idea to make a list of questions for Fintan for tomorrow's meeting like I did for Eric.

A lot of good my Eric list did for me today though, but I guess he did say he would answer all my questions tomorrow night. I really wasn't looking forward to asking some of my questions. I was embarrassed to ask some of them and scared of his answers to others.

Thinking of my list of questions, I considered the opportunity I had right now. Pam was Eric's child and knew him very well. Maybe she would answer a couple of my more difficult personal questions and I wouldn't have to actually talk to Eric about them. We still had at least 20 minutes until we'd make it to my house.

"Pam?" I started sweetly.

"Yes?" she seemed suspicious of my tone.

"I have a lot of questions about things and Eric and I couldn't get to them all tonight. Do you mind if I ask you some of them?"

"Sookie, you should just wait until Eric has time to answer them. He is your Master."

Her tone was a little biting and I couldn't help but flinch at her saying he was "my master." But I also got the impression she thought I was trying to undermine Eric by going to her.

"I'm not trying to go behind his back, Pam." I started. "Its just that . . . Well, some of them are kind of . . . "

"Spit it out blondie." Pam was annoyed. Big surprise.

"Some of them would be easier to ask a woman."

Pam looked at me appraisingly, which was a little nerve racking since she was driving. Finally, she turned back to the road before saying, "You can ask your questions but I may choose not to answer."

"Okay." I took a deep breath and tried to decide what question to ask first. I'd actually left my list at home but I was sure I remembered the ones I'd like to Pam to answer. The problem was I didn't want to start with the one I most wanted to ask her so I needed to start small.

"Vampires don't change, right? So, if you cut your hair what happens?" I really was pretty sure I knew the answer to this one but I thought it was a good opener.

"Not at all what I thought you was going to ask. That's a normal question from the vermin. I would have thought you would already know." Pam drooled. "Eventually the hair would grow back to how it was when the vampire first rose. However, while younger vampires will have their hair regrow overnight, older vampires can slow the regrowth if they wish to do so."

"Really? How does that work?" I hadn't heard of that before and I was intrigued by the thought.

"You know that as a vampire gets older that they are more controlled and more powerful." I nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, the control is not just over their instincts but also the magic of their bodies. Its not the same for everyone and some never master the control but it is helpful to have the skill if you wish to disguise yourself or change your look for a time." Pam explained.

"I suppose Eric can do that?" I was almost positive he could since Pam seemed to have a little bit of pride in her voice.

"Of course. He was actually talking a couple of days ago about cutting his hair and wearing it short for a while." That was interesting. Since Eric was a Viking it was hard to think of him with short hair.

"Its hard to imagine him with short hair." I stated before moving on to a more substantial question. I took a deep breath before I started. "Okay, so I've noticed that feeding and sex and fighting and sex seem to go hand in hand."

"Absolutely." Pam agreed and I could see her fangs peeking out a little. Jesus Christ.

"Well, does it have to be that way or is it a choice?"

"I don't understand. Why would it be otherwise?" she asked with a wrinkle in her brow.

"Well, maybe I don't want to have sex with everything that walks through the door, Pam." I huffed.

"Oh, Sookie. We'll teach you better standards than to want _everything._"

"That's not what I mean Pam and you know it." I let my aggravation show. Why couldn't she just answer the question? This was hard enough. "With those type of responses, I should just as well wait to ask Eric." I mumbled and looked out the window.

After a few moments of silence, I heard Pam sigh. "Feeding and fighting are all very arousing. That's why it's called bloodlust. Sex doesn't have to be involved but the younger a vampire is the harder it is to resist and most wouldn't even try." Pam eyed me for a moment before rolling her eyes. "But I'm sure you will try and with your stubbornness you might just succeed. "

I just blushed and nodded in response. We were getting closer to my home and I really needed to get to my big question. I shifted in my seat and I'm sure my heartbeat spiked. I could tell that Pam knew I was really uncomfortable with my next question.

"One more topic and I'll stop bugging you." I thought if I let her know I was almost done that it might help a little.

"Go ahead then." She replied with her normal bored tone.

Another deep breathe before I made myself start, "What kind of Maker is Eric?"

Pam's answer was instantaneous. "He is a very good maker. You are lucky as I said before."

"Could you be more specific?" I pressed.

Pam eyed me for a moment before continuing, "He is strong so he can protect you when you are young and unable to do so yourself. He is a great warrior so he can teach you to protect yourself better than most. He is not cruel like most other makers who treat their children as toys or possessions. He is fair and only punishes when necessary and the punishment fits the offense." She must have noticed my reaction to the mention of punishment. "Sookie, you must think about young vampires as young children. Driven by instincts that cannot always control. You will make mistakes and must be taught to act appropriately for your own protection as well as his. The Maker is held responsible for the child's actions."

The whole punishment thing threw me for a loop and I had a lot of other questions around that but I needed to stay on track to get to the root of my concerns. We were really getting close to Bon Temps.

"Has he ever used his control to make you do something you didn't want to do?" I asked timidly.

"Of course." Pam laughed. "Haven't you been listening? When you are young, you will be running on instinct and you will be defiant at times so you will need to be restrained. I gave Eric hell for years. I especially liked women of royal blood for pets in my early years." She said reminiscently. "Eric eventually had to order me to give them up because I wouldn't do so willingly and he feared I risked exposure with my hobby."

"What about sex?" I asked.

"What about it?" she asked confused.

I was nervous about her reaction but I had to know because it was my biggest fear. I prepared myself for her reaction before I blurted out my question. "Has he ever ordered you to have sex?"

I was thrown forward against my seatbelt as she slammed on the brakes and we were stopped on the shoulder of the road. Before I could comprehend anything else, I was out of the van with my back against the sliding door and Pam's hand was around my throat. Her fangs were out and her facial expression was pure rage. I had underestimated her response.

"Who the fuck do you think you are to insult my master bloodbag? You are nothing! You are not fit to be his child! You will be nothing but a threat to him with your lack of trust and the increasing number of relations you have to other supes. I should drain you now and just accept his punishment."

The suddenness of her attack and pure violence in her words had me shaking in fear. "I'm s-s-s-orry. I didn't . . ." I tried to speak through my fear and with the little air that was making its way to my lungs. Her hand around my throat wasn't painfully tight yet but I was panicking.

"Didn't what?" Her voice was pure ice and hate, "Didn't mean to insult him? Do you not think it's an insult to imply he would force a woman to have sex with him? Like he would even _need_ to do so?"

I should have kept my mouth shut but I never seem to exercise caution in these moments. "Glamour." I spit out.

Pam growled loudly and threw me onto the grass by the road before straddling my waist and holding my arms down by my head. She snarled in my face, "I don't owe you anything you bitch. But know that while we both may use glamour to gain attention or start conversations, we always allow the final choice to be made by our companions without glamour. We are stronger, smarter, faster, and overall better than any humans. We do not need to show our dominance with rape."

"You disgust me." She was only inches from my face and I knew I was crying now. "You show no gratefulness. As Sherriff, Eric had the right to take you from Bill the first night at Fangtasia and force you to his will but he didn't. Last night, Eric could have left you to be fought for amongst the other vampires at the tribunal that _would have_ raped you over and over again but he didn't. Eric protected you from those vampires and is protecting you from the Queen and yet you insult him."

"Give me one good reason why I should not kill you now?" she spit out.

"The Magister." I squeaked out. I wasn't about to tell her why I had to ask the question in the first place and the Magister was the first thing that came to mind. "Wouldn't he punish Eric? Are you willing to risk that?"

Pam looked even more pissed off for a moment but then she stood up and walked back towards the van. I guess I came up with a good reason for her to let me live. She had only moved a couple of steps away when her phone rang and she stopped to answer it.

"All is well Master." Pam stated calmly by way of greeting. "No, we are fine." I really wished I could hear the other side of the conversation. "Just a sisterly spat." She replied again with a glare in my direction. Oh, I guess he felt my fear and probably her anger. "Only a bruise or two I'm sure. Well worth any punishment." She sneered. "Yes Master." And then she hung up the phone.

"Get in the van." She ordered.

I got up slowly and I could feel clearly where I thought those bruises Pam gave me would be. I wiped off my backside of any dirt and climbed in her van. We drove for a few minutes in silence before I decided I had to say something to clear the air. I hadn't thought about how offensive my question would be to someone who cared for Eric and it was obvious that Pam did care – no matter how much she hid it.

While looking out the window, I started in a soft tone. "Truly my question was more about my need for someone to calm my fears than it was about Eric specifically." I swallowed before continuing. "I'm sorry that my fear of someone having complete control over me caused me to insult him."

I could feel Pam's eyes on me but I didn't turn to look at her. I could feel the tears trying to well up as I tried not to think about why this was my greatest fear. I needed to lighten the situation and not sit in the silence that would cause me to get lost in my nightmares about the past crimes of my uncle. So after a moment, I added "To be honest, your reaction really made me feel better."

Pam didn't react to my attempt at levity; instead she faced forward and said evenly, "History inaccurately labels Vikings as rapist. Eric is very offended by that inaccuracy." Then she looked at me with a look on her face that I didn't expect after the scene less than five minutes ago. It was a searching look that settled into one of understanding and it confused me until she said, "Without a doubt I can tell you that if anyone dared to hurt us in that way, Eric would hunt them down and torture them beyond recognition before allowing them the relief that death would bring them."

I had to look away again. I don't know what I said that gave me away but I could tell by her words and the look on her face that she knew that my fear came from personal experience. She was a lot more perceptive than I gave her credit for. Moreover, something about the look on her face made me wonder if Eric had enacted this revenge for her in the past.

"I'm glad that my tossing you around earlier made you feel better, because I won't apologize." That Pam!

"I didn't expect you to."

"Good. I'm glad we understand one another." She answered. "In time, you will come to understand and be as protective of him as I am – if not more so due to your bond."

I didn't respond and she didn't continue. It didn't matter though because my attention was suddenly elsewhere.

Pam was turning onto Hummingbird Lane.

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A/N: Please be sure to review.

I've always had a theory that many of Sookie's reactions are driven by her fear of losing control and that it all goes back to her childhood. I thought it was important to understand this part of her psyche. I hope I did the topic justice. I look forward to reading your responses.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Your reviews are like fuel for me when I'm running out of steam. You all are wonderful and I love reading your reviews. I didn't get to respond to many this last time around due to personal life being crazy and trying to finish this chapter. Please forgive me but know that I read every single one. They make my day.

I've seen this question repeatedly so I thought I'd address it really quick.

Sookie isn't a virgin in this fanfic. Everything that happened on the show up until the Magister's hearing still happened. Other things will happen "off page" as well but be brought into the story as needed when Sookie learns of them since I will only be writing Sookie's POV in this story.

I'm really nervous about this chapter because I know you have all been really looking forward to it. I've reworked it several times but finally decided I just needed to post it and get over my nerves. I hope it meets your expectations.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.

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My house was still dark when we arrived and there were no cars in the driveway. Thank goodness no one was here yet. I really needed a few minutes to collect my thoughts and prepare for what was coming.

After we made it inside, Pam had me go ahead and extend an invitation to Eric so that he didn't have to wait when he got here later. Then, I warmed up a True Blood for Pam before I told her that I was going to change because I was a little dirty now. She just smirked at me before saying, "Didn't I tell you earlier that you needed to start finding more pleasurable ways to ruin your clothes?"

"Well, I'd love to Pam but this blonde, bad-ass vampire chick didn't really give me any options." I was glad we were able to move past what happened earlier and get back to our easy banter.

"Would you like other options now?" Pam asked showing a little fang.

I just rolled my eyes and headed to my bedroom to change. My top actually didn't need to be changed but my jeans had a couple of grass stains on them. As I pulled on my third pair of jeans of the night, I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't have another reason to change tonight.

I found Pam sitting on the couch in downtime. I thought it might be a good idea to call Jason to make sure he was coming over. I'd only been able to leave him a message earlier and who knows if he ever checked it. He answered his phone on the third ring, but before he said anything I heard a woman's voice in the background.

"He's the one that's going to fucking kill us." I heard through the phone.

"Shut up woman." was Jason's muffled reply before he said "Stackhouse here."

"Jason, what's going on over there? Are you in some kind of trouble?" I asked.

"What? Oh nah" he answered in his most innocent – yes, I'm guilty – voice. "What's up Sook?"

I decided to ignore the background conversation. Jason and his latest girlfriend would just have to deal with their own drama. "I'm just making sure you got my message and that you were on your way over."

"Well, tonight is not a good night Sook." He hedged.

"Jason Stackhouse. You get your lazy ass in your truck and get over here now. There is never going to be a good night for what I need to talk to you about and Lafayette, Tara, and Sam will be here soon."

"What's going on?" he demanded. "Are you in trouble?"

"Jason, do you think I would order you to my house if it wasn't important or if it was something we could talk about on the phone?" I asked exasperated.

"Fine. This better be good Sook. I got a lot going on." My brother. It was always about him.

"You aren't the only one." I said back tartly. His problems couldn't hold a candle to mine right now. "And don't bring Amy."

"What? Why not?" He was offended.

"Its not that I don't like her Jason." I tried to soothe him even though I thought there was something off about her. Maybe I should break my own rules and read her mind a bit. "Tonight's just about those closest to me. Just come alone." And then I hung up before he could protest anymore. Luckily Jason lived close by so he could still make it on time since we still had fifteen minutes before eleven o'clock.

"You and your brother are nothing alike." I jumped. Pam was standing behind me. Of course she had heard the whole conversation.

I sighed. "No, we're not."

"I will wait outside while you speak to your friends. However, I will intervene if they get out of hand or any of you try something stupid." I wasn't sure what she meant by 'try something stupid' but I was glad she would be waiting outside. I wanted my friends calm for as long as possible while I got the whole story out and having Pam in the room would not help with that goal.

"Okay. Thanks." Pam nodded and was gone.

I decided to busy myself by getting some lemonade ready for everyone. I put five glasses on a faux silver tray along with a pitcher of lemonade and carried it to the living room and placed it on the coffee table. Then I sat down on the couch and waited.

Each minute I waited seemed like forever. Hmm. I guess I was going to have to redefine how I use the term forever. That's a weird thought.

While I sat there watching the clock, I came up with a plan. I would start with the rules for our discussion and then move on to tell them about my choice and then about Bill's betrayal. I was hoping that if they saw how people would try to use me that they would understand that being a vampire would allow me some protection. I was hoping they would know me well enough to understand that I couldn't let someone else die because of me. I was hoping that when they got over their anger and disbelief that they would still want to be in my life. In all reality, I was just hoping for anything that didn't result in me losing everyone.

I was brought out of my musings by the sound of a car coming up my driveway. I made my way out to the front porch to wait.

Sam pulled up in his truck followed by Tara and Lafayette in his car. They probably all came from the bar.

"Hey there ya'll. Thanks for coming." I greeted them all as they walked towards the porch. Tara was the first one to reach me and she pulled me into a hug.

"Sook. You know I'm always here for you." She said happily. "I was soooo worried until you called today. Oh, that's a cute top." Tara added pulling back and walking in the front door.

"What the hell Lafayette?" It was obvious Tara had been drinking and that was _not _going to help at all. Tara was enough of a hothead without alcohol. Add it to the mix and she had a temper that could rival most vampires. Damn it. Not what I needed tonight.

Lafayette just shrugged and followed Tara inside. Sam greeted me with a hug as well and whispered, "She's had a lot going on. Her Mom and all." I nodded in understanding. Tara had been seeking refuge at my house from her alcoholic mother since we were kids. I felt selfish in thinking it but I really wished that she'd chosen a different night to drown her sorrows.

Sam stiffened suddenly and looked at me intently. At first, I didn't understand but his hand was still touching me so I caught on to his thoughts. "_She smells of a vampire, but its not Bill. I wonder what's going on. She needs to get away from those . . ."_

"Why don't you head on in Sam?" I'd heard enough of his thoughts.

As Sam released me and headed inside, Jason was exiting his truck. "Hey Sis. It looks like everyone's here. Can we get a move on? I got stuff to take care of."

He was just hell bent on ticking me off tonight, but instead of letting him set off my temper I decided to find out what was going on. "What were you and Amy arguing about?"

Jason had been heading in the door but he whipped around to face me. "Now that's just none of your business and you stay out of my head you hear!" With that declaration, he went to join the others in the living room.

I stood on the porch for a minute longer. I needed to steady my nerves and solidify my courage. This had to be done. Like Eric said there was no delaying the inevitable. Oh Gosh, I was already quoting _Eric_. I guess that would probably become inevitable too. What a difference a day makes! I laughed a little before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. When I opened them, I could see Pam standing at the tree line. She gave me a short nod that I returned before entering my home.

Lafayette and Tara were on the couch while Jason and Sam had each chosen one of the flowered armchairs.

"Alright Hooker" Lafayette stated leaning back into the couch and gesturing with his arm. "Out with it"

I remained standing as I felt like most of us would be standing by the end of the conversation anyways. Again I took a deep breath in order to get started.

"Okay. I have a lot to tell you and the first thing I need is your promise that you will let me tell you everything and hear me out before you go ballistic on me."

"What has that vampire done now Sook? We'll kill 'em for you." Tara drunkenly demanded.

"Tara, I just said that before I told you anything you needed to promise to hear me out. That means no comments."

"Well, you know he's . . ." she started but Lafayette placed his hand on his arm.

"Bitch. Just shut your mouth and let 'er tell us." Tara glared at him and crossed her arms. "Go on. I'll keep her drunk ass in line."

"And you two?" I ask looking at Sam and Jason.

"I'll listen" Sam stated and Jason just nodded.

"Okay then." Again, I took a deep breath. "What I'm going to tell you is going to make you angry. Its going to make you think I've lost my mind or been manipulated. Neither of those things is true. You are not going to want to accept what I tell you and you are going to think I'm an idiot. You are going to try to change my mind but know that there's nothing you can say or do that will achieve that goal. I know all of these things about how you will react and I expect it."

I surveyed them all and Sam's eyes seemed to be the only ones that were truly considering different options for what may be coming. Since he was a supe that probably made sense. Jason just looked confused and Lafayette had to silence Tara to keep her from speaking again.

"So, I haven't brought you all here to let you try to change what's coming. I've brought you here because you need to hear it from me and I want you four to know the reasons and the story. I don't care what anyone else thinks, but you are my family and I love you more than anything. You have accepted me more than anyone else ever has in this town. Having said that, when the night is over you may all decide that you want nothing more to do with me." I couldn't help it and my voice wavered a little.

Sam looked like he was going to try to say something comforting but I just put my hand up to silence him.

"Before I tell you about what happened last night, we need to talk about my telepathy." Everyone stiffened. They knew it existed but we never discussed it unless I slipped and heard something I shouldn't. "I know we don't really talk about it but it's important that you all understand how it is for me in order to understand some of the decisions I've made." I paused and they all seemed to be ready to listen. "I hear and see everything. Every errant thought, every secret, every horrible fantasy, every crime, and every dream. Its all there laid open for me like a book without me even trying. I actually have to work really hard not to listen. Its exhausting." I looked at each of them again and they seemed to be trying to understand.

"There are a very few people that are harder for me to read, but its not enough that would make any difference in the way things are for me." I gave a quick meaningful glance to Sam and he seemed to understand the implication. He wasn't happy with it either.

"The things you take for granted will never be possible for me. I will never get married." Sam started to interrupt again but I shot him a look. "Imagine hearing everything that your partner is thinking. No one says everything that's on his or her mind and that's how it should be. Everyone needs their privacy and time to consider what they are saying and how to react to those around them. But when you hear everything a person is thinking before they have time to filter through it, some horrible and hurtful things just slip through their mind. They don't really mean anything by it but it happens. Even though I know this, when I hear some of those things, I can't help but be hurt by them."

"I thought you could block us Sookie." Jason asked quietly.

"I can most of the time when I'm not touching you, but if I'm tired or emotional then all bets are off. That's usually when I slip." A couple of them nodded at that comment. "But can you understand how I'll never be able to get married or have children? I would never be able to have an intimate relationship with a human because touching makes the thoughts louder." I paused before mumbling. "Trust me I've tried."

"I don't need to hear that." Jason said embarrassingly.

"You do because it's important." I chastised him. "The next thing you need to understand is how it's dangerous for me."

Tara was about to start in on another vamp rant but Lafayette stopped her again with a glare and I gave him a thankful nod.

"I know that you want to place all the blame on Bill and vampires, but have you ever thought what would happen to me if any humans with power found out?" They all looked shocked at the thought and I had to shake my head. "You haven't, have you? I have. Many, many times. Gran and I used to talk about it too. It's been my reality since I was born. It could be terrorist or our own government who want to use me as a spy or lie detector. Or worse, maybe our government would think I was a national security risk and lock me up because let's face it – I am. I could meet any government employee and find out pretty much anything I wanted by asking a question or two. Even if they refused to answer verbally, the thought would go through their minds and I'd have my answer. People wanting money could use me in Vegas or to get insider information for stocks. The list goes on and on. Even though you all know I would never do any of those things if I had a choice, everyone has their weaknesses and breaking points and I have no real way to protect myself. Do you understand the danger?"

"Damn Sook. Why didn't you ever mention this? We could have been more careful." Jason asked. But his mind was different, "_Heck, I never thought about Vegas. Fuck. So, not the point Stackhouse."_ At least he kicked himself for that thought. Sheeze Louise.

"There was nothing to be done. I am what I am and I am not perfect. People suspect but I rarely acknowledge it and this is a small town so that gives me some protection. Still, it was bound to happen eventually that someone found out. I'm surprised it took so long." I sighed. "The point I'm trying to make is that my future can never be the happy ending with a husband and a family and the white picket fence that every small town dreams of having. On top of that, I am always in danger of being used by someone – human or otherwise."

"Before I move on, do have any questions about my telepathy or the risk and drawbacks that are a part of it? Do you understand the position I'm in right now?" I wanted to make sure they understood this part as I was hoping they could see some of the positives of me being turned into a vampire. As I looked at each of them, they all shook their heads showing that they didn't have any questions. I think they were actually a little in shock but I had to move on. It was only going to get worse.

"Now, I'm going to tell you about last night. At least, I'm going to tell you as much as I can and it should be enough for you to understand. I just can't tell you all the details of the vampire way of life that I have witnessed." I looked at them all to make sure they understood before I began my story.

"Last night I was required to go with Bill and the other vampires to find out about Bill's punishment. Bill had broken a vampire rule to protect me so he had to be punished according to their rules. When all was said and done, the decision was that he had to make a new vampire and they brought out a young girl for him to turn." Everyone gasped but Sam. Knowing he was a supe, I assumed he understood a lot more than the others and could read between the lines.

"I stood there listening to the girl's thoughts. She was only seventeen and she didn't want to be turned. She just kept thinking about her family, friends, and the boy she liked. She kept praying and wishing that she'd get to grow up and have kids and get married. It was heartbreaking."

"I told you they were all killers Sookie." Tara interrupted.

"Tara, there are bad vampires just like there are bad humans." I sighed. She started to argue again but I stopped her. "Stop it. I still have a lot to tell you."

"Bill tried to ask for another punishment but there was no budging. The girl pleaded to be let free. I felt so guilty listening to her and watching her. I was going to have to stand there and watch this girl die and lose her future. I grew more and more guilty as I thought about why she was there. If Bill had not broken the rule to protect my life, she wouldn't have to die. She would never have been there and she would still be with her church group or home safe in bed." I swallowed before I continued. "And then I thought about the fact that she would be staying with Bill as his child and I would have to see her everyday knowing that I was a part of the reason she lost her human future. I would have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life."

Sam jumped up out of his seat, "Sookie" he pleaded, "tell me you didn't do something stupid. TELL ME that you didn't!"

"Sam Merlotte you will sit down or you will leave." I demanded looking him in the eye. I really did appreciate his concern since it was a valid one but I needed to get through this.

Jason decided to take his turn breaking the rules. "What's he talking about Sook?"

Sam tried to answer but I interrupted, "Sam you shut your mouth. This is my story." Sam sat back down in his seat but I could tell he was seething.

"Jason, I'm getting there. Try to be patient." I said soothingly. I decided to take a quick peak in everyone's mind to see if they had any idea where this was going.

"_I wish she'd get to the point. Amy and I need to. . ._"

"_Knowing this Hooker, she did something to help the girl. Damn, what kinda troubled she get into."_

"_I'll kill all those bloodsuckers if they hurt her. Lafayette_ _would help me."_

I couldn't really get a read on Sam other than _"She wouldn't."_ So, he may have figured it out.

"As I was saying, I was standing there powerless and about to watch this young girl lose her future dreams that included becoming a teacher, getting married, and having children. A future that was well within her grasps if she stayed alive and a future I would never have. Because my life was saved, she was going to lose hers. How could I live with that guilt? How could I let my life mean more than hers when she would lose so much more than I ever would?" I took one more deep breath.

"I couldn't. So I offered them a deal." No one moved and I sensed their tension. I didn't want to hear their thoughts. "If they would let her live and go home safely, then I would take her place."

"What the fuck?"

"No way in hell!"

"Are you crazy bitch?"

"I won't let it happen"

They were all on their feet and yelling. I don't know who said what because it was a chorus of shouts. I fought every instinct in me to be sure that I stood my ground and didn't back up.

Before I knew it Tara had me by the shoulders and was in my face, "What has gotten in to you? First, you let them start using you like a takeout menu by drinking your blood and then they force you to help them with your mind readin'. Now, you want to be one of them? You told me about those bastards at Bill's that disgusted you. Is that what you want? To think about nothing but sex and blood? To be a monster? For us to be scared of you?"

"Tara, girl. Back off a little." Lafayette placed a hand on one of her arms to pull her back away from me.

"They've done something to her. Our Sookie would never do this." Tara yelled at Lafayette as he pulled her further back.

"Now, you know our girl has always been the one to save every stray." He said to Tara before turning to me, "but Sook have you really thought about what this means. I mean shit."

Before I could answer, Sam interrupted. "No. Tara's right. This isn't Sookie," Sam said stepping in front of me to take Tara's place. Fleetingly I noticed that Jason had fallen back into his chair and placed his head in his hands. "What do they have on you Chere? We can help you get out of this. I can stake Bill during the daytime and this will all be over."

For shifter, he didn't seem to understand vampires very well if he thought that staking Bill would help anything. If he did that, he would just be in trouble and it wouldn't change anything else. But I guess it was time to finish my story and spring the Bill issue.

"Bill won't be my maker." I stated evenly. "And even though I doubt I'd mourn his final death very much, your staking him would not help the situation any."

Everyone just looked at me dumbfounded for a moment. Finally, Sam asked the ten million dollar questions. "Why wouldn't you care? And I thought it was Bill's punishment?"

I hadn't said the words out loud before so I was fighting against myself to remain calm as I told the story. However, I did have to look away from their questioning eyes. I was ashamed that I was fooled so easily and I knew they would all feel they had the right to tell me that they told me he was no good.

"While everything else was going on last night, I also found out that the only reason Bill came to Bon Temps and the only reason he was with me was for my telepathy." I heard a couple of groans and sharp intakes of breath. "Somehow he found out about it. So he seduced me and worked his way into my life. Eventually, the plan was to give me to someone else so that they could turn me and he would be rewarded. He admitted this last night in front of everyone."

"That lying bastard. I _will_ kill him." Jason said hatefully. "Is he home, Sook?" Without waiting for me to answer, he turned to Sam. "You comin' with me?"

"Both of you just stop." I yelled exasperated. "Bill's not home. In addition to losing me, he also received another punishment and won't be released for at least two weeks."

"I hope they torture and stake that devil." Tara spit out.

"They won't stake him but rest assured that it's painful." Funny how that thought didn't bother me. Not for the first time, I realize I was a bad Christian.

"So, who's going to do it then girl?" Lafayette asked.

"The person in charge offered me to Eric Northman and he accepted me as I accepted him. He owns the bar in Shreveport." I rushed this out so there wouldn't be any interruptions.

"The Sherriff. Are you fuckin' kidding me?" Sam's face was contorted in anger now. I'd never seen him like this. "Absolutely not. He's a power hungry, womanizing, asshole, and I will not let him ruin you. I don't care what you agreed to. I won't let you do it."

Ok, anyone who knows me knows better than to think they can tell me what I can and can't do (I guess Eric is the exception now but I couldn't help that). My attempt at controlling my temper was forgotten and my stubborn independent streak took over.

"Now, you listen here. This isn't your decision and you have no rights to tell me what I can and cannot do." I yelled in his face. "I told you from the beginning that you all have no choice in this matter other than whether you ever want to see me again when its all over. So, if you don't like it Sam Merlotte, then you know where the door is."

Tara grabbed my shoulder and turned me around to face her, which left my back to Sam. "So that's it Bitch? We've been here for you through everything and you just gonna up and walk out on us. That's what we mean to you?" she asked angrily.

"Aren't you listening? I'm changing. That's true. But once I've adjusted we can still be in each other's lives. You are the ones that have to make the choice if you can handle being around me once I'm a vampire." I was getting tired of this back and forth.

"Sook" Jason walked over to stand beside me. He had been uncharacteristically quiet. "I . . . We're the only one's left. So soon after Gran . . ." Before he could say anything else, Sam interrupted again.

"Don't worry Jason. We're not going to let this happen. This isn't our Sookie. We won't let them take her." He said determinedly.

"Damn straight." Tara added.

"Jesus Christ. I'm sick of fighting with you two. You've said your piece and I'm clear on where you stand. I still need to talk to Lafayette and Jason."

"There's nothing to talk about because it's not happening." Sam growled.

"That's it. I want you both to leave." I said with my hands on my hips. They were past any reason and I couldn't take anymore from the two of them. I was so angry that I couldn't even feel the sting of rejection.

"What?" Tara asked.

"You heard me. Its time for you to go." I looked at both Tara and Sam with sadness in my eyes. "Once you calm down, you can reach me by calling Fangtasia if you ever want to see me again."

"Fine. You're right. It is time to go." Sam stated defiantly while looking at Tara. "Tara, get the door."

Tara didn't look back at me as she walked towards the door and she didn't turn when Lafayette called her name. Once she opened the door and turned back to wait on Sam, I felt my self being lifted and thrown over a shoulder.

"What in the hell are you doing?" I yelled at Sam as I hit at his back and he walked towards the door.

"Taking you away until we can figure out how to stop this madness."

"Sam, I think you better put my sister down." Jason was trailing behind us but I could hear the conflict in his mind. He wasn't sure what to think. I was actually really surprised by his reaction so far but I didn't have time to think about it as Sam was walking down the steps.

"I'm warning you Merlotte, take your hands off me before you get hurt." I yelled at him.

"NO!" he growled back at me.

Before I could say another word, I was on my bottom on the ground and Pam had Sam by his neck against the side of his truck. I was having flashback to my own predicament with Pam earlier in the night.

"You should have listened to her Mutt." Pam hissed at Sam with her fangs down.

"Get your hands off him you bitch" Tara yelled as she ran at Pam. I knew Pam could take her but I didn't want Tara to get hurt and I also didn't like someone attacking Pam – I'd have to think about that later. Before Tara reached Pam, I grabbed her arm and threw her on the ground.

"Don't be an idiot. You will get yourself killed." I yelled at her as she looked up at me from the ground. Eric's blood made throwing her on the ground a little too easy.

"So, you are already siding with them against us. Well, fuck you Sookie Stackhouse." She spat as she stood up and got in my face. I have to admit that the anger towards me that showed in her face hurt me deeply.

"Its not about sides Tara. It's about you acting like a fool and me trying to keep you from getting hurt. And even though you couldn't hurt her, I don't want you attacking Pam." I was trying to regain some composure. I sighed. "Just get in the truck with Sam and leave."

"Well, it seems like your new _friend_ intends on having him for dinner." Tara was seething.

"Eww. I don't eat dog." Pam said disgusted. "He just needs to learn his place and stop manhandling my sister."

"What? She's my sister." Jason said confused.

"Perhaps." Pam said as she opened Sam's truck door and pushed him inside while closing it behind him. "But she will be mine soon. We will share a maker."

"No you will not. You can't have her." Tara was yelling as she started towards Pam again. I really wished that she hadn't been drinking tonight but it probably would have gone the same way regardless.

Before Tara took more than a couple of steps, Lafayette had picked her up with his arms around her waist. She kicked and screamed the whole time but he pushed her into the passenger side of Sam's truck and slammed the door.

"You twos get outta here and calm the fuck down." Lafayette ordered.

"This isn't over bloodsucker." Sam said as he backed out of the driveway.

"I'm going to go wash the stink off my hands." Pam stated before she went into my house.

Lafayette was still staring down the driveway where Sam had driven away but Jason had walked back over to the porch and sat down on the stairs. I decided to join him there and I hoped that the yelling was over for the night.

"Hey big brother. You've been awful quiet." I said in a hushed tone as I wrapped an arm around his waist and placed my head on his shoulder. We'd been fighting the past few days about Gran's murder, vampires, and Bartlett, but right now those things had to be pushed to the side.

"God Sook. I don't know what to say. So much has changed in the past couple of weeks and we've lost so much." He sounded overwhelmed. "I want to be angry and go help Sam figure out a way to stop you. I really do."

"But?" I prompted because I could hear that there was one coming.

"Well, I never thought of all the danger you were in. Honestly, I'm a bad brother but I wanted to ignore that you were different and just hope that one day you'd find the right guy and I'd be an uncle." He turned his head to look at me and it was almost as if it was the first time he'd really seen me. "But that's never going to happen is it?"

"No Jase that was never going to happen." I said sadly.

"And you are really okay with that?"

"I don't know if okay is the right word." I sighed. "Sometimes life is what it is and you have to accept it. Make the best that you can with it."

"I'm the man of this family. I should protect you." I could tell he was feeling like a failure. "Gran's gone and you're all I have."

"Jason. If we had dozens of family members left, they still wouldn't be able to protect me from everyone that would want to use me." I paused and placed both my hands in my lap as I mumbled. "I won't really be gone unless you don't want me around."

Jason closed his eyes and grabbed the hand that was resting in my lap. "You're my sister. Vampire or not."

I couldn't help it. Tears started falling down my face. Of everyone, I was sure that Jason would be the angriest. To say I was shocked was an understatement.

"Well, you know you'll always be my Bitch. Now you'll just be my kick-ass bitch." Lafayette said while joining us on the steps and grabbing my other hand.

"Thank you. I love you both." I whispered.

The three of us just sat there in silence for a couple of minutes. I was trying not to focus on the hurtful words that Sam and Tara had said or the fact that they may now hate me forever. I was trying to revel in the two men who sat beside me and would accept me even after I was a vampire. I wasn't going to lose everything and that comforted me. Suddenly, there was a little bit of weight lifted off my shoulders.

However, I then remembered my other assignment of the night. I had to talk to Jason about V. I hope this didn't take away from the moment we just shared. I hadn't felt this close to him in years.

"Jason," I decided to start out gently with a question that was bothering me a little. "Just a couple of weeks ago, you really hated vampires. I'm a little surprised by how well you've reacted. Has something changed?"

He stiffened for a second and seemed to think about it while looking out into the woods around my house. "Well Sook, I think it's like you said. Its possible that there are some vamps that ain't that bad."

That answer surprised me. "Have you met more vampires Jason?"

For some reason he seemed to be getting nervous, "Well, I . . . I guess I did go to that vamp bar once."

I had to laugh. I already knew that he'd been there but it was still a funny idea to me. "I can't imagine you in Fangtasia Jason, but I already knew that you'd been there." This was the best way to get to the conversation that needed to happen.

"You did?" He looked surprised and a little worried.

"Yes, Pam and Eric told me." I turned a little to face him more. "And Jason we need to talk about that."

He stood up and was clearly getting agitated by the conversation. "What about it? I went and hung out for a little bit and that's where I met Amy. We left not long after."

I decided to bite the bullet. "They know you are doing V."

"Shit" Lafayette whispered.

"Damn Sook. Did you tell them?" He accused me. "They'll kill me."

"No I didn't tell them. How could I? I didn't know that my brother was drinking vampire blood. Is this about Amy? Did she get you started on this?" I was on my feet and getting angry myself.

That's when I heard. "_Fuck. Stackhouse better not sell me out. I hope they don't know about me too."_

"Lafayette, you too?" I shrieked.

"Damn girl don't listen to me." He said standing up

"I can't help myself when you're thinking so loudly." I was so annoyed at these two. Did they not know how dangerous this was? "What's wrong with you two? Do you have a death wish?"

"Look who's talking." Jason grunted.

"Not the same." I gritted back thorugh my teeth. I took a moment to reign in my temper and got back on track. "Look. Here's the deal. They know you're doing V Jason and I was told in no uncertain terms that you need to stop immediately or you would be punished and that being my kin would not give you an open ended free pass." I turned to Lafayette. "I'll try to do the same for you but you have to stop."

Lafayette nodded but what I heard from him was different than a simple agreement. He was a clear broadcaster. _"Damn I'm going to lose money but with Eddie gone I don't have a supplier anyway." _I gasped.

"Lafayette what do you know about Eddie?" The question was out of my mouth before I could think and Pam was suddenly on the porch.

Lafayette backed up away from Pam and answered quickly. "Nothing. I don't know anything."

Pam started to take a step towards Lafayette but I stepped in her path. "Lafayette, just tell me."

He looked around at all of us before confessing, "Look, he was into it. We had an arrangement. He enjoyed himself and he supplied me with V. That's it."

"Then where is he now?" Pam asked stiffly.

"I don't know." Pam started to step towards him again. "No, No!" he said backing up. "I really don't. I went back over for another session but his door was open and it looked like there had been a struggle." He paused before saying softly, "I think someone took him."

"_Shit. Shit. Shit. I hope they don't figure it out. I'm dead. Amy made me do it. I didn't want to hurt Eddie. He seems like an alright guy. I'm trying to let him go but she . . . "_

"Jason Mitchell Stackhouse! What have you done?" I yelled at him as I turned to face him.

Suddenly there was a soft "whomp" sound as Eric landed beside Jason and towered over him.

"Yes, Stackhouse. What have you done?"

* * *

A/N: Well, there you have it. I hope it lived up to expectations. It was really hard for me to write so many voices in the same chapter. Please review and let me know what you thought.

As you can tell, we have much more drama left in this night!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I can't believe I'm on Chapter 10. You all have blessed me with over 300 reviews and they are my inspiration to keep writing. Sometimes I have to split my time between writing and responding so I hope you don't mind that I can't respond to them all but trust me that I treasure every single one.

I was blown away by your response to the last chapter so I've worked as quickly as possible to finish this one so that I don't leave you with that cliffhanger for too long.

Enjoy!

Oh, as a side note, I listened to "Gives You Hell" by The All American Rejects for the entire chapter. Somehow the title just seemed fitting.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything; I'm just messing with their universe.

* * *

_**Last time:**_

"I don't know." Pam started to step towards Lafayette again. "No, No!" he said backing up. "I really don't. I went back over for another session but his door was open and it looked like there had been a struggle." He paused before saying softly, "I think someone took him."

"_Shit. Shit. Shit. I hope they don't figure it out. I'm dead. Amy made me do it. I didn't want to hurt Eddie. He seems like an alright guy. I'm trying to let him go but she . . . "_

"Jason Mitchell Stackhouse! What have you done?" I yelled at him as I turned to face him.

Suddenly there was a soft "whomp" sound as Eric landed beside Jason and towered over him.

"Yes, Stackhouse. What have you done?"

* * *

It seemed to me like everything froze for several minutes but I know it was just my mind trying to process everything. I was cursing myself. Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut? I needed a better brain to mouth filter. Sheeze. No one needs to be able to read my mind. I just freakin' say everything.

In reality though, I guess Eric would have smelled Eddie on Jason as soon as he got here from investigating Eddie's house. Stupid vampires and their darn sense of smell.

So, maybe its better that I know now and can try to negotiate the outcome of this clusterfuck. God, I hoped I could.

"_I've had vamp blood. Maybe I should just try running."_ My idiot brother. His stupidity seemed to be at an all time high and I was out of patience.

I walked over to Jason and grabbed the collar of his shirt and started dragging him back to the porch steps. He started to protest mid-way to the porch when I turned around and hissed at him.

"Stop fighting me you dumbass."

He looked shell-shocked. I wasn't usually the type to be pushy or curse, but I'd had enough in the past twenty-four hours and now my own brother had just added to my growing list of supernatural problems.

When we reached the steps, I pushed him down to make him sit on the top step and he looked up at me incredulously. He had opened his mouth to speak when I interrupted him. "The vampire blood I've had is much stronger than what you've had and even with what you've had you would have absolutely no chance of outrunning them. So stop even thinking about it. You are in far too much trouble as it is. In fact, you would just excite them by trying to run for it. So if you want to continue your fantastic streak of stupid shit you can do to get yourself killed then, by all means, go for it. Otherwise, for once in your life, sit down and shut the fuck up." Jason's eyes grew impossibly wider at my words. I swear, one full day with my vampires and I was cussing like a sailor and ordering people around. Gosh, did I just say my vampires? I so don't have the time to think about that.

I wheeled to look at Lafayette and locked eyes with him. He looked shocked at my behavior. I just glared at him and pointed to the space beside Jason. "Are you going to make me drag you over here too?"

After a couple of seconds where I think he was still trying to deal with his shock, he shook his head and walked slowly over to the steps and sat by Jason. The look on their faces as they looked up at me reminded me of how Jason and I would look at Gran when we knew we were in deep manure. I took a deep breath and turned around to face the vampires.

"And here I thought it was a turn on listening to you order the dog around earlier. You could be such a dom." Pam leered at me.

"Pamela." Eric was in no mood for humor and neither was I. He was in Sherriff mode and I was scared to death of what would come next.

"Eric." I started but I didn't know what I was going to say next. I never would have imagined when my night started that I would be standing in front of my soon-to-be Maker trying to ensure that he didn't kill the only two people who hadn't turned their back on me when they found out I was going to be a vampire – especially when one of them was my brother. Then again, I hadn't planned on finding out I was part-fairy either.

"Find out what they know." Eric ordered with no emotion in his voice.

"But . . ." I wanted assurances first.

"Would you rather I find out?" he growled at me.

"NO! But what . . . " As is the norm with vampires, I didn't even realize I was moving until I found myself standing in front of Eric 150 yards away from my house and out of sight of the trio we left behind. His hands were on my shoulders and his face was right in front of mine.

"You will not question me and especially not in front of humans. Do you understand?" His fangs were out and I could tell he was trying to hold back a _lot _of anger. "There are no buts to be discussed. There is a vampire missing from my area and your brother and friend know what happened. You will find out what they know and tell me everything. I will know if you lie."

"What will you do to them?." I broke eye contact and stared at the ground between our feet. "They are the only ones that stayed with me." I knew that if he decided to kill them I could do nothing to stop him, which means I would have lost everyone that mattered to me.

"It will depend on what they've done." My head snapped up and I locked eyes with him willing myself to find some sort of hope there that told me he wouldn't kill what remained of my family and friends. I didn't see anything but an emotionless mask. There was no hope and no reassurance to be found. I decided to push my luck and try again but before I could speak he covered my lips with a single finger.

"It is my job to protect all vampires in my area and punish those who wrong us. This is a job that will also protect you in the future." I knew arguing would get me no where and I was trying to not freak out but as I dropped my eyes to the ground again a single tear made its way down my cheek. How much was I expected to lose in one night?

Just like the night before Eric brought his hand up to my cheek and wiped away the tear with his thumb. "You are going to have to trust me."

"Trust is earned." I mumbled so softly that only a vampire could have heard it.

Eric gently pulled my chin up so that I was looking at him again. He just nodded, released me, and gestured for us to walk back to the house.

It didn't take us long to be back in front of Jason and Lafayette. Luckily, it seemed that they had taken my words to heart and they hadn't moved at all. Or maybe it was the death glare that was on Pam's face that kept them immobile. Who knows?

I took a deep breath and sat on the step below them. I grabbed Lafayette's hand, closed my eyes, and said "Tell me about your deal with Eddie."

"Hooker, what's gonna happen to us?" He whispered back.

"Do not insult her!" Eric voice was venomous.

"Eric stop! It's a nickname. He's calls all his friends Hooker. Even his cousin. Calm down." He glared at me. "Please" I added and nodded.

"Lafayette," I said to get his attention back on me. "I don't know what's going to happen." I said softly and swallowed the lump in my throat. "But I do know that it will be much worse for both of you if you don't just cooperate. So, please?"

"Aight, aight." He sighed. "I would meet up with Eddie a couple times a week. I would make him feel good ya know and he would supply V for me to sell." Eric growled and Lafayette tensed. Personally, I was grossed out by the visuals I was getting.

"You said that you went to Eddie's but it looked like he'd been taken?" I whispered.

"Yes. I went back earlier tonight because it was our night, but the door was open and his remote was busted on the floor. I thought maybe someone had taken him." But his mind added, "_Damn Stackhouse. I bet it was him."_

I took a deep breath before I asked what I had to, "Why do you think Jason took him?"

"Damn it Sook! You're my sister." Jason interrupted. "You're supposed to be helping me."

"Yes, that's true. She is your sister." Eric was in front of Jason and his tone was seething. "And you can be certain that if you live through the night it will only be because of that fact. So, I would stop burning that bridge breather." Jason finally used some good sense and closed his mouth.

"Continue." Eric said in my direction and I looked at Lafayette for his answer.

"I cut Jason off. He didn't follow the rules."

"What do you mean?" I was seeing some of it in his mind but I was hoping that if he willing told the vampires everything that it would work in his favor.

"He took too much and ended up in the hospital. Then he told Tara I was dealin'. And he pushed around a cop." Jason had put his head in his hands as Lafayette told his story. "He was too outta control and that upped my chances of being caught if I kept supplin' him. But he fuckin' went off on me when I told 'im he was done. He was desperate."

I saw the scene in his head and it reminded me of when I caught him at my house. "Yeah, I know. I caught him here trying to take some of Gran's stuff to sell but I was too mad to try to find out why."

"He was acting like a fucking caged animal when he came to the bar." Pam added in her bored tone. "It was obvious he was on something."

I let go of Lafayette's hand and moved on to Jason. For a second, he withdrew his hand slightly when I reached for it. It stung. I knew it was his self-preservation instincts but it still hurt. So, instead of reaching for his hand again, I decided to hold my hand out for him with my palm up. After a few moments, he placed his hand in mine and I squeezed it.

The first thing I felt was overwhelming shame. I decided to try and spare him having to actually tell the story.

"Just show me everything and I'll tell them." I whispered and then looked at Eric. He nodded tersely to me after a slight pause.

"How?" Jason asked.

"Just think through everything that happened since you went to Fangtasia." He nodded and started but then I added. "Don't try to leave anything out to make yourself look better. I'll know." I had already sensed that he was going to try so he just nodded sheepishly at my words.

We sat there for probably five minutes in silence. He started with the night at Fangtasia and meeting Amy. Pam was right. He was lucky he made it out of their alive.

The more I saw of his interactions with Amy, the more I realized how crazy she was but my brother was blinded by her words, the blood, and the sex. We made it through Eddie's abduction, his captivity, and finished with the fight they had tonight. He was telling the truth that he really did want to let Eddie go but he was completely outsmarted by Amy at every turn. She truly was a psychopath and she knew how to play my dim-witted brother.

I sighed when he finished with leaving for my house tonight. "So, when you left tonight he was still alive. Well, undead."

"Yeah. I was trying to let him go but well – you saw the argument with Amy." I nodded.

"Sookie." Eric was getting very impatient.

"Jason. Keep your mouth shut okay. You're not going to like what I say but it's the truth whether you realize it or not. You've been played like a fiddle so just keep quiet." His face started to get red like he was going to argue again but I just kept my eyes locked on his and waited for him to agree. Finally, Eric growled and Jason nodded his consent.

I stood up and turned to Eric. "I'm fairly certain that the girl he met at Fangtasia is an experienced drainer. He didn't have a clue and she's been keeping him in line by feeding him more V, stories about love, and nature and 60's type bull. They had agreed to stop but then she needed more and Lafayette wouldn't sell to him. She talked him into following Lafayette to his supplier and told Jason that they could try to come up with a deal with him too." I sighed and glanced at Jason. "But when Eddie answered the door, Amy threw a silver hood over his head and started tying him up in silver. Jason argued with her but being the follower he is and not knowing what else to do, he did as he told and put him in the truck."

I could tell Pam and Eric were really losing their tempers. Drainers pissed them off enough but talking about having silver taken to a vampire by a human pissed them off even more.

"Where is he now?" Eric demanded.

"They tied him with silver to a lawn chair in Jason's basement. Jason's been sneaking him True Blood when Amy isn't around but they had a fight about it earlier today when she found out. She truly is a psychopath. Jason was on his way to release Eddie but Amy was fighting him when I called. When Jason left, they agreed they'd talk more when he got home." I was hoping that some of Jason's helpful actions would save his life.

"Anything else?"

I thought about it. "I know this sounds stupid to say it to vampires, but I wouldn't underestimate her. She had the silver net and chains in her purse. I wouldn't be surprised if she keeps a few things on her all the time. This definitely wasn't her first time."

"Sook, you can't be sure of that." Jason mumbled.

"Jason, who else do you know that keeps those items in their purse and knows how to place a IV line in a vampire?"

He just hung his head and I turned back to Eric. I didn't want to ask, but I had to before I went insane.

"So, now what?"

Eric stared me down for what seemed like forever but I didn't look away. Finally he said, "Do not interrupt me. Do you understand?"

I considered what might be coming and thought about the likely hood of me being able to actually stay quiet or stop anything. The chances were slim to none. Eric seemed to sense this. Well, of course he did. He's had my blood.

"Sookie" This time his tone was much more severe and his fangs were out.

Trust. He had told me to trust him. I barely knew him, but what other choice did I have? Pam told me he was a good master. She said he only punished when he had to do so. He had to know that I would hate him if he killed or hurt my friend or brother. He wouldn't want a child that hated him forever. I had to take this leap and hope that it paid off in the end.

"I understand." I said firmly.

"Sit by your brother. We will be going to his home shortly." I complied with his order wordlessly. I assumed this meant he was dealing with Lafayette first. I grabbed my brother's hand and held it in my own. I concentrated on locking down my muscles as much as I could so that I didn't instantly react to whatever happened. As a precaution, I also threw up my mental shields. I was dealing with enough of my own anxiety. I didn't need Jason's or Lafayette's added on.

I also took the chance at whispering to Jason. "Don't move and don't say anything." He just squeezed my hand. His eyes were watching Eric like a hawk but that's not where we should have been looking.

In an instant, Pam had Lafayette by the throat on his back on the ground in front of Eric. Both of their fangs were out. Jason and I both gasped in surprised before forcing ourselves back into silence.

"The normal punishment for a V dealer is torture and death." Eric stated and Jason's grip on my hand became painful. The pain helped me remember not to say anything.

"Were you aware of this bloodbag?" Pam asked with her fangs very close to his neck. "Because I think you were."

"Shit. I needed the money for my momma. I didn't hurt 'im. Eddie agreed." Lafayette's voice wavered with fear.

Eric crouched down so he was close to Lafayette as well. "That's not what my child asked." He sneered.

"No. I didn't." He answered and Pam slapped him across the face. Jason's hand was shaking now and I was really struggling to stay quiet. I knew what he was thinking without listening to his mind. If this was Lafayette's punishment, then what the hell would they do to him?

"Don't lie breather. We're not as stupid as you." Pam spat at him.

"Shall we try again?" Eric asked calmly. "Did you know the punishment for dealing our blood?"

Lafayette didn't say anything immediately and Pam looked like she was about to hit him again.

"Ok. Ok. I . . . I guessed what it would be. Yes." His voice was very soft but I heard it.

"So, you knew that you would be killed if you sold our blood and yet you did it anyway?" Eric stood back up to his full height and Pam brought Lafayette up to his knees. She held onto the back of his neck so that he had to bend it back to look up at Eric and her other hand held both his arms behind his back. Eric continued as he looked down on Lafayette with contempt. "If you have so little fear of death that you continued to sell our blood when you knew the punishment if you were caught, then what could I possibly punish you with to keep you from selling our blood again other than your death?"

I was losing my struggle at keeping quiet as the scene in front of me continued to unfold. Eric must have sensed my struggle because he spared a quick penetrating warning glare in my direction before turning back to Lafayette. I have to admit the power behind that glare had me swallowing the words that were on the tip of my tongue.

"What about this Mother of yours? Would you risk her death or the death of your drunk cousin?" Eric asked as he kicked him in the thigh. I could tell from where I was sitting that he didn't really kick him with any true force because it would have broken his leg.

"No. No sir. Just leave 'em alone. I won't touch the shit again. I swear." Lafayette begged.

"I believe he cares about his Momma and that drunk." Pam said sweetly as she ran a finger over his neck. "So, you wouldn't want to watch them drained now would you sweet cheeks."

"No. No Ma'am. Whatever you want. I'll do it." His voice was quivering.

Eric crouched in front of him again. "As you have promised, you will never touch or deal our blood again." Lafayette nodded. "If you ever go back on this deal, you're family will pay the price. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Now, about your punishment." Eric said standing up.

"What?" Lafayette asked.

"We've only covered the future punishment for any further indiscretions. Did you really think you wouldn't be punished for this one?" Eric laughed at him and Lafayette looked like even more of the blood drained from his face.

"Can I play Master?" Pam asked while running her nose up his neck.

"Hmmm. It has been awhile since you got to play." Eric said thoughtfully. I should have been scared but I'd been around them enough to recognize their banter. I was almost certain that they were just trying to scare the shit out of him at this point. _Almost_.

"Yes it has Master." Pam answered excitedly.

"But I think we'll have to wait for a different toy. I have other plans." Pam looked dejected. "Stand up."

Both Pam and Lafayette stood up and Eric stared Lafayette down. "Pam will take you to your home. You will give her all the blood you have. You will also provide her with all the names of any other dealers you are aware of. Do not attempt to hold out on her or you will be killed. Do you understand?"

I could actually see Lafayette gulp before he whispered. "I understand."

"You will also owe me a favor for sparing your life tonight. I can call on you to perform this favor at any time. It could be anything and take any amount of time. It could be easy or it could be dangerous. No matter when I call, you will answer and you will do as you are told. It could be tomorrow or twenty years from now. No matter when I call or what it cost you, when I call in this favor you will do it without hesitation or question. If you do not, then the deal is forfeit as is your life. Do you agree?"

"Yes." I mean what else could he really say.

"You will speak of this to no one other than those here tonight. Pam will be using glamour to ensure that you cannot speak of it to anyone else." Eric paused to insure

Lafayette understood before continuing. "One last thing" and Eric stepped closer to Lafayette. "You are only surviving this night because you did not harm Eddie and because you stood by Sookie. It is not Sookie's fault that you are in this predicament. It is your own. I expect you to stand by her as you promised earlier in the night."

"Sook's my girl. No worries 'bout that." Lafayette said weakly but his mind added, "_As long as these scary ass fuckers don't come around with her. Shit."_

"Good, but do not make the mistake of thinking you will get off easy like this again. No second chances." Eric said in a steely voice.

"Don't worry about me. I won't screw up again."

Eric nodded before saying, "Go wait in your car."

Lafayette was about to get into the driver side of his car when he stopped and turned towards the porch. "'Nite. Give us a call Sook when we can come see ya."

I did my best to smile when I responded. "Sure will Lafayette. Take care." You'd think we had just finished a nice dinner together instead of dealing with angry vampires.

As Lafayette waited in his car, I turned my attention back to Eric and Pam. Of course they were speaking Swedish again.

"Få True Blood och träffa oss på Stackhouse hem när du är klar. Vet du var det är?" Eric asked. Well, at least it sorta sounded like a question.

"Ja. Dess i valvet. Vad ska ni göra med honom?" Pam replied.

"Jag känner mig kreativ ikväll eftersom Eddie är fortfarande bland de odöda." Eric responded with a smirk.

"Och om flickan har slutat honom?" Pam replied back.

Eric looked over to where Jason and I still sat on the porch steps. He glanced at me before his face took on a very serious look as he stared at Jason.

"He better pray that is not the case." Eric responded. I didn't know what they had been saying to each other but I was certain that Eric chose to respond in English so that Jason understood the severity of his predicament. I know I understood all to well and I was praying that being my brother was enough to keep Jason alive to see another day even if Eddie hadn't survived the last hour alone with Amy.

* * *

**Translations:**

"Få True Blood och träffa oss på Stackhouse hem när du är klar. Vet du var det är?" – "Get True Blood and meet us at the Stackhouse home when you are finished. Do you know where it is?"

"Ja. Dess i valvet. Vad ska ni göra med honom?" – "Yes. It's in the vault. What will you do to him?"

Jag känner mig kreativ ikväll eftersom Eddie är fortfarande bland de odöda. "- "I'm feeling creative tonight since Eddie's still among the undead."

"Och om flickan har slutat honom?" - "And if the girl has finished him?"

* * *

A/N: If at all possible, I'll have another chapter out before the end of the week to reveal Eddie, Amy, and Jason's fate. Please review and let me know what you thought about Eric's treatment of Lafayette.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I had a general idea of how I wanted this part to go but my muse wasn't cooperating completely. Finally, I just decided to push her around and I hope you enjoy the outcome.

As always, thank you for your notes and reviews. They make me think about different tangents in the story and challenge me to top the chapter before. Well, on with the show. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: It all belongs to somebody else; I'm just playing with the universe.

* * *

"You wreck my van and I'll burn down your house." Pam said as she tossed me her keys and walked towards Lafayette's car. I caught them easily with my new and improved reflexes, but I was confused.

"You want me to drive your van?" From what I could tell, vampires hated to ride in cars when humans drove. We were too slow for them. Wouldn't Eric drive?

Pam laughed out loud, actually laughed, as she started to lower herself into Lafayette's car. "You really think Eric Northman would ever drive a minivan."

Oh, I did see her point. I could never see Eric as a soccer dad driving the van around. The thought actually did make me giggle a little even in the charged environment we were in. Pam and Lafayette were already on their way down the driveway when I finally stopped giggling. Really though it was Eric's words that brought me back down to earth.

"I would drive, Sookie, but I think your brother and I have a couple of things to discuss along the way." My mood immediately sobered and I actually heard Jason's gulp beside me. "Let's go."

When I climbed into Pam's van and started getting acquainted with the dashboard, I expected Eric to join me in the passenger seat. Instead, I saw him shove Jason into the backseat and he climbed in next to him. I turned around and started to open my mouth (out of reflex really), but instead Eric and I stared each other down for a couple of seconds. Finally I just turned around and started driving - and thinking.

He could have killed Lafayette and he didn't. He could have tortured him and he didn't. This is my brother. Yes, Jason has done worse things than Lafayette, but I was willing to try and trust Eric to deal with Jason after watching how Lafayette's punishment ended up. Plus, how much could go wrong in an eight-minute drive? And really, what other choice did I have?

"So, Stackhouse. What do you think I should do with you?" Eric asked while leaning back and placing his hands behind his head. It looked like he was having a friendly conversation with a friend while reclining in an office chair. I was hoping Jason was smart enough not to get too comfortable with his situation.

"Well . . . ah . . . I don't know 'bout that but I'd appreciate not dying and torture doesn't sound good neither." I could see Jason trying to catch my eye in the rear view mirror for some direction on what he should say but I was studiously ignoring him. Maybe getting the crap scared out of him would do him some good. "And ya know with my sister becoming one of you that I won't wanna do you all no harm."

"But you've already caused harm." Eric said lazily and now he had closed his eyes.

"I know and like I said I'm real sorry about that." I could hear a little worry in his voice but he was trying hard to seem like he was holding it together. I didn't know what he was thinking and I didn't want to. I'd heard enough of his mind for one night.

"Yes. You did say that." Eric said thoughtfully. "Do you think Eddie will just accept an 'I'm sorry' and be done with it?"

"Well, I really couldn't say. I've tried to help him out when I could." Jason was speaking slowly and it seemed that for once in his life he was actually thinking before he spoke.

"But you stood back and let your woman hurt him and helped her at times." Eric still hadn't changed his soft thoughtful voice. It felt like a hunter that was luring its prey into a false sense of security before springing his trap.

"Yes. I'm real ashamed of that too." Jason said in his most contrite voice.

"So, do you think it's fair to say that you owe Eddie a debt?" Still there was no change in Eric's voice or posture.

"Um. I guess that sounds 'bout right." Jason said slowly. It was obvious he feared what was coming next. "So, is this like what you told Lafayette about him owing you a favor."

"No. That was different." Eric turned his head towards Jason and looked him in the eye. "I think an eye for an eye is more appropriate for you to repay your debt to Eddie."

Oh Shit. Jason was going to flip out when he figured out wh . . .

"WHAT!" Jason sat straight up in his seat and his face was beet red with anger in an instant. "You want me to let him drain me?"

Eric still hadn't moved from his relaxed posture and he even rolled his eyes. "Eddie's not finally dead Jason. At least you better hope not. So, letting him drain you dry would not be an eye for an eye."

"So what are you sayin' then?" Jason asked cautiously.

"You will feed him, but he will not drain you"

"Fuck no. I don't want no vamper . . ." That's as much as Jason got out of his mouth before Eric had heard enough. Jason was held against the window of the van with Eric's hand around his throat and Eric's very furious face only an inch from his. This was a hold I was beginning to think should have its own name since I'd seen it so many times in one night.

"You are mistaken to believe you have a choice little boy." Instead of yelling, Eric's voice was deadly quiet. Somehow it was scarier than when he yelled and I felt a chill go up my spine. "You think you have the right to steal his blood but that you are too good to provide him with yours." He growled menacingly. "You will either do as you're told or I will chain _you_ to a chair in Eddie's basement and see how you like to have your blood drained daily."

"ERIC!" I couldn't help it. The thought of my brother being held like that terrified me and I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

"Sookie." He growled at me. "Interrupt again and you will be punished."

My jaw dropped. Did he really just threaten to punish me? Who the hell does he think he is?

As if he read my mind, he continued, "You_ will_ learn respect and restraint. Now, be silent."

Before I could get myself in trouble and allow my wounded pride to speak, Eric turned back to Jason.

"So, which is it? Are you going to cooperate or do we need to hold you captive?"

"What does cooperate mean?" Jason asked through gritted teeth.

I heard the glass in the window crack a little and I could only assume that Eric was pushing him against it harder than before as I heard Jason cry out a little. I hoped Pam didn't blame me for that one. "You still think you are in a position to argue or question. You are a stupid, silly boy. You would already be dead if not for Sookie." Eric eyed Jason with disgust. "You are nothing like your sister. Perhaps she would be better without you around to cause trouble."

"No. No." Jason cried out and he finally seemed to show the right amount of fear for the position he was in. "I'll do what you want. Anything."

"Don't promise what you will not deliver on Stackhouse. Once a deal is made, death is the punishment for not following through and you do not seem to be the reliable type." Eric warned and I have to admit that he was right about Jason's not being reliable.

"If it means keeping my ass above ground and breathing then I'll do what I have to do." His voice had taken on the desperation and fear of someone who realized they were bargaining for their life and I sensed this was the cliff's edge that Eric wanted him to be on.

"Good." Eric released him and moved back to his relaxed position while Jason rubbed his throat. "Tonight when we get to Eddie. He will need to feed and he will need more than True Blood. You will provide him with blood and I will insure he doesn't lose control and drain you since it's been so long since he fed on real blood. Do you understand?"

"Yes" Jason replied as he looked at the floor of the van.

"His recovery time will depend on how drained he is and any burns from the silver. For as long as he is recovering, you will run errands for him. It is unsafe for a drained vampire to be out, as they are too weak to defend themselves. In addition to running errands and doing any chores around his house, you will also give him some of your blood at least three nights a week. Once he is recovered, your debt to him is paid." Eric paused to look at Jason. I looked at him in the mirror as well and he looked rather pale.

"You don't expect me to . . . um . . . ya know." I didn't understand what he was getting at but Eric did.

"No. Eddie will not be allowed to require sexual services." The relief coming from Jason was palpable and Eric smirked. "Of course, you're more than welcome to engage in said activities willingly."

Jason's response was instant and predictable. "What? No. I don't do dudes."

"Suit yourself. I was just letting you know it was allowed." Eric shrugged and then continued. "Now, after your debt to Eddie is fulfilled, you will still owe me for kidnapping and draining a vampire under my protection."

"Alright. So, what do I have to do for you?" Jason asked resignedly.

"First, you are going to be my eyes and ears in this area. It seems to be drawing everything supernatural lately and I want to stay informed. You're going to get a lesson in Supernaturals from one of my underlings and learn how to spot them. If anything is going on in this area and I mean the smallest thing, then you will contact me. If you think something seems a little off or weird, just call or text. And I don't care if someone threatens to cut your arm off and hit you over the head with it if you tell their secrets, you will call me, or one of my progenies, to report it. Also, you will be discreet. You will be glamoured to insure you can only talk about these issues with those I allow."

"I don't know what you mean by Supernatural lessons and no offense but what good does that deal do me. If I have to choose between you or whoever else, someone's going to kill me." I thought it was a good question.

"Since you'll be working for me you'll be under my protection. I'm over all the vamps in this area and I'm older than most vampires in this country. That's a lot of protection." Eric answered before moving on. "In addition, you are obliged to assist me with anything I require for the next year. Similar to the favor Lafayette owes me, but you can be called as many times as I wish for a year. You will be compensated for any time you lose from your job and for travel if required."

"Well, its not like I have a choice and its better than the alternative. So, alright." My brother was being logical. There's a red-letter day for my calendar.

"Now, understand this." Eric had sat back up and was looming over Jason. "First, know that since Eddie will have had your blood and you've had his, he can track you for me at any time. Do not attempt to run." Jason swallowed loudly and then nodded. "Also, he will know if you are in trouble and he will know to contact me. This is part of the protection." Jason nodded again. "Finally, let me tell you that werewolves are real and I have several that owe me favors. If you do not follow through on any part of our deal, or attempt to betray me and mine, or break any more rules in my area, then there will be a newspaper article about how a citizen of Bon Temps was attacked and killed by wolves in the woods by their home."

We all just sat in silence for a few seconds absorbing what was said while Eric continued to hold Jason's gaze. "Do you understand the terms and agree to them?"

Jason whipped some sweat from his brow before whispering a broken "Yes."

"Good." With that one word, Eric relaxed again with an unnecessary sigh. After a moment or two of silence, he added. "And Stackhouse, if your little girlfriend has ended Eddie, then our deal is off."

I think my heart stopped at those words. I'm sure Jason wanted to find out what would happen if that were the case but we were pulling onto his driveway and there wasn't any time left for conversation.

"How far down the drive is your home?" Eric asked.

"About eight of a mile." Jason answered.

"Sookie, pull off the driveway here and turn off the lights." I did as he said before turning around to look at him.

"What are we doing?"

"We'll walk in from here. If she sees us coming and recognizes me from Fangtasia, she may panic and do something stupid." Eric explained as we all got out of the van.

We had walked up the driveway in silence for about hundred paces when Eric asked me if I could hear anything from the house yet. I still had my shields in place so I had to drop them to listen. I shook my head that I couldn't hear anything from the house yet and we kept walking as I kept listening.

When we were in sight of the house, I realized that something was wrong. I should be able to hear Amy by now and I should be able to feel Eddie's void. This was not good and I got chill bumps on my arms thinking about what would happen next as I reached out to place a hand on Eric's arm.

"There's no one there. Not even Eddie"

Eric stopped and stared at me before asking sharply. "And how would you know if a vampire wasn't in the house if you can't read vampires?"

Shit. I'd never explained that to him before. "Vampires are voids Eric." He looked like he was going to challenge me again so I thought I needed to explain better. "There's like a black hole where something should be. I can tell that something is there but I can't read anything from it. So, I know Eddie's not there because there isn't a hole."

Eric's nodded and then his eyes grew stormy as he took in the implications of this development. He growled softly and started walking towards the house again.

We were about thirty feet from the front porch when I heard it.

"_Another few vials and then I'll leave this piece of shit. In the morning, he'll be dust and we'll be free and clear." _I gasped and stopped in my tracks. Eric's eyes were on me in a second but I held my hand up. I needed to figure out where she was.

"_Fuck. Jason's such a joke. He'll believe anything. I'll just say I let him go." _I had unconsciously started walking towards the voice. In my head, I saw her pressing into the silver mesh hood on Eddie's head so that it would burn further into his skin. _"Stop moaning you baby."_ She laughed at him. She really was sick.

I pointed in the direction I heard her from. "She's draining Eddie in the woods that way and plans on leaving him for the sun." Jason gasped but Eric was gone before I could blink my eyes.

Jason and I ran after him. I kept listening to Amy to see what happened but it just all the sudden went blank. She wasn't dead because I could still feel her brain but she was unconscious. She just never saw Eric coming.

It took us about five minutes to make it through the underbrush to where Eric was waiting beside Eddie. He had removed his shirt and wound it around his hand in order to start removing the silver but he was having trouble with the hood.

"I'll get it." I offered.

"No. Jason will do it." Eric ordered. Luckily, Jason wasn't stupid enough to argue.

"I'm sorry Eddie. I didn't know she was plannin' this." Jason whispered as he removed the hood. I'd never met Eddie but I didn't think I'd recognize him if I had. The burns across his face almost covered every inch. It had to be one of the most disgusting things I'd ever seen. Not as bad as Longshadow's remains though.

"I doubt that's any comfort to him now." Eric hissed. I took a moment to study Eric and it hit me that he really did care about the vampires that were under his charge. Sure, he may be driven mostly by pride and obligation, but it was still there.

"Give me your wrist." Eric ordered Jason but he just stared at him, which just made Eric impatient. "He's to weak to bite. I'll open a wound."

I saw Jason pale a little in his position by Eddie's head, but he slowly lifted his arm towards Eric. I decided to raise my shields again so I didn't have to listen. I half expected Eric to make it really painful for Jason but I think he held back – slightly – for my benefit. I could tell he didn't try to spare him all of the pain though.

"Damn it." Jason screamed and he pulled back from Eric. However, Eric grabbed his arm and forced it into Eddie's mouth.

"Don't move. He may bite in a moment if he comes around but I will stop him before he takes too much." Eric warned and then he pulled out his cell phone. I assumed he called Pam because he started talking in some other language again. Swedish I'm sure.

I leaned against the large tree that was behind me. We were in a very wooded area with a lot of broken saplings around us. With all the broken branches and new growth around the area, it looked like there may have been a strong windstorm pass through at some point. It definitely was not the right place for a clumsy vampire because they could fall in almost any direction and stake themselves. Not that I'd ever seen a clumsy vampire.

Amy was unconscious on the ground just behind the tree I was leaning on and Eric was pacing on the other side of Eddie and Jason while he talked on his phone. There really wasn't anything I could do so I was taking my moment to regroup while using the tree behind me for support. I had no clue what time it was now or what would happen next. So, I closed my eyes and just tried to focus on my breathing for a minute in order to calm down my heartbeat and the speed of my thoughts. It seemed like everything had been in overdrive ever since I woke up this morning. Then again, its not like I had much longer to worry about my heart rate so I might as well enjoy the crazy adrenaline rush.

I was brought from my musings by a hand brushing against my face. I opened my eyes to see Eric studying me while brushing my hair behind my ear. I hadn't heard him hang up the phone.

"It's been a long night for you." He said softly and I just nodded. I couldn't even begin to find the words to describe this night. "We'll be going home soon."

"Um. I'm feelin' a little woozy." Jason said interrupting our moment. I wasn't sure why that disappointed me. I'd have to think about it later.

"Let me see your wrist." Eric ordered as he approached Jason. As Eric lifted Jason's wrist back towards his mouth Jason had to open his mouth again.

"Wait. Why you gonna bite me again?"

Eric glared at him but I decided to answer. "He's not going to bite you." Jason whipped his head around to look at me with a questioning look. So, I carried on in a tired voice, "He's going to lick it. Their saliva heals the wounds so you will stop bleeding."

"Oh." Jason said quietly and Eric raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry, I guess."

After Eric had closed Jason's wounds, he asked him if he still had any True Blood in the house since Pam would still be a few minutes. Jason said there was a couple in the fridge. I would have offered my own blood but vampire's are so possessive that I'm sure Eric would have asked me to help if he was willing for me provide blood. After Jason spoke the words that would allow Eric to enter his home, Eric turned to address me.

"I'm going to go pull the van to the end of the woods and get the True Bloods. I'd like Eddie to have a little more blood before we move him." I nodded. "He shouldn't wake up but I'm going to place the silver chain on top of his clothes in enough places to hold him still so he doesn't have the ability to attack in the off chance he wakes up." Good to know I wasn't at the mercy of a thirsty vamp. I just nodded again. I was out of words.

Eddie was still lying about twelve feet away from my tree with his feet just about parallel with my resting place. Jason had finally stood up and he was standing close to Eddie's head just looking down on him and he looked deep in thought – a strange look for Jason. By covering his own hands with his shirt again, Eric had finally managed to arrange the silver chains how he wanted them to hold Eddie. It was completely inappropriate timing but I couldn't help but admire Eric's exposed chest. He really was beautiful in the moonlight.

I was broken from my thoughts when Eric spoke again. "Keep an eye on that one." He said pointing to the still unconscious Amy, who was still unconscious behind my tree. "I'll be back in just a minute." I had already handed him Pam's keys earlier so he was gone in the blink of an eye.

With everything quiet and just the sounds of the woods around us, I took the opportunity to rest my eyes and mind again. I just continued to lean my back against the large tree and concentrate on my breathing. It was something I used to do on the playground when I was younger. It helped me to calm down and try to enforce my shields when children were being mean at recess. I was just contemplating slouching down the rest of the way against my tree and sitting on the forest floor when I heard a very faint jingling sound behind me.

I had just opened my eyes and was about to turn towards the sound when I saw Jason's face. Apparently he had turned towards the sound too and was shocked and scared by what he saw. I couldn't see anything from where I was standing and I wasn't sure if whatever was there knew I was hiding behind the tree. So I decided to wait.

"You son of a bitch. You hit me." It was Amy.

"Naw. That wasn't me. I just found you both here." Thank goodness Jason was good at lying to women.

I heard her moving closer to where I was standing so I started looking around me for a weapon. I had to believe she had some sort of weapon or Jason wouldn't look the way he did. I found a large stick that could have been made into a walking stick leaning against a bush beside me. Very slowly, I grabbed it and silently moved it to my side.

"Well, how did you find me?" Her tone said that she didn't believe him at all. "And why weren't you checking on me since I was unconscious?"

As she slowly worked her way forward, I saw a gun pointed at Jason and it was just about three feet to my left.

"I followed your track through the woods and I was just makin' sure he wasn't gonna be able to attack me while I came over to check on you." He said sweetly. "Why don't you put that thing down and let me look at your head?"

"Who was the other voice I heard?" She was getting angrier with every one of his lies.

"It was Eddie's."

"Bullshit. Why did you do this Jason?" She asked angrily. "Why did you lie to me baby? I thought you loved me but all you do is LIE AND BETRAY ME." She was yelling hysterically now and I knew she'd lost whatever grip on reality she had so I took my chance and swung my branch at the gun to knock it away.

Unfortunately, she had apparently decided that she'd had enough of Jason's bull at the same time that I decided to strike. So, my stick hit her arm at the same moment that she fired her gun. I heard Jason scream out in pain and he fell to the ground.

Luckily, I had hit her arm hard enough that she dropped the gun, but I didn't expect the knife. Who the hell was this psycopath that she had so many weapons? Before I could try to defend myself with my stick again, she had lunged forward and cut a large gash on the arm holding my weapon.

My body's immediate reaction was to drop my stick and draw my arm into my chest to cradle it. Of course, Amy took that opportunity to throw a very strong right hook against my jaw. Let me tell you this, Amy might look like a small thing but with all the V she'd been taking, she could really pack a punch. I collapsed to the ground with the shock and pain of the past five seconds so I was on the perfect level to see her reach down and pick up her gun.

At first, I was sure she was going to come over to finish me off because it definitely looked that way. However, Jason suddenly let out a groan that caught her attention. I quietly rolled over and pushed myself up to my knees in time to see Amy standing over my brother with the gun pointed down at his head.

"You fuckin' shot me." Jason yelled at her.

"Yep. I guess I need to get better at picking my soul mates." Amy said in a deadpan voice. "Cause it ain't you."

As she started to pull the trigger on the gun I felt the biggest rush of fear and anger I had ever felt in my life. She was going to kill my brother right in front of me. I _would not_ allow it.

Without any thought in my head, I threw my hands up in front of me with my palms facing towards Amy and yelled "NO!" The voice that came out of my mouth was pure command and anger.

What happened next is hard to describe because it was like nothing I had ever seen, or experienced, or would have expected. The second I held my hands up and yelled my command, a white light radiated from my hands and seemed to hit Amy's body full on. She was thrown ten feet into the forest and I saw the gun fall out of her hands. I could only see her shoes from where she landed but she didn't appear to be moving and neither was I. My body was humming with energy. I was shaking a little from it all and the only way I can think to describe it is the biggest adrenaline rush you've ever had coupled with the worst case of stage fright in your life. That was how on edge my body felt and I couldn't fathom how to move again.

"Sookie?" Eric said tentatively. I heard him but I was still too lost in my body's reaction and my mind's shock to respond. Everything had happened so quickly. It was over even before Eric could feel my fear and return.

"Eric what the fuck was that?" Jason asked softly with a bit of what sounded like awe. So, apparently Eric had shown up in time for my light show.

"Shut up Stackhouse." Eric hissed softly at him. I heard something coming towards me from my right side and I immediately turned my hands and head in that directly. It was instinctual.

Eric held his hands up and stopped his approach. "Sookie?" He said softly. "You know I won't hurt you but your bleeding. Let me heal your cut."

His words seemed to breach my distressed state of mind and I began to come back to myself enough to feel the sting of the cut on my arm. I just nodded my head and dropped my hands.

He was beside me in an instant and raised my arm to look at it. The cut was long but it wasn't too deep so he started licking it so that it would close. While he was taking care of my cut, I noticed Jason getting up to walk over to us.

"Jason," I started quietly "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I think so. It hurts like a sonofabitch but I think the bullet just grazed my shoulder." He said while inspecting his arm.

"Well, ding-dong the witch is dead." Pam said as she came out of the underbrush where Amy had landed. I didn't even know when Pam had arrived. "And here that bitch was my best chance at a plaything tonight." She pouted.

"What!" I yelled. "What do you mean she's dead? You mean that thing I did killed her. I didn't mean to kill her. I swear . . . I . . . " I started crying hysterically and Eric took me into his arms to try and soothe me like he did after my panic attack earlier in the night.

"What you did only pushed her away, Sookie, but she landed on part of a broken sapling and it pierced her chest." He said softly. Ironic that earlier I was thinking about how dangerous those broken saplings were to vampires.

"So I did kill her." I pushed myself out of Eric's lap and I just started pacing and yelling at the woods. "I'm a murderer. Oh my god, I'm not even a vampire yet and I'm already killing people."

"Sook" Jason grabbed me by my shoulders to stop my pacing "I don't know what that light show was with your hands, but if you hadn't done it then she would have killed me and then you. You were protecting us."

A part of my brain knew he was right. A part of my brain was glad it was over, that we were all alive, and the psycho was gone. But another part of my brain just couldn't accept that I had done the deed - that I had ended a life basically with my bare hands. The realization made my knees go weak and I started to fall.

Luckily, Eric was there to catch me.

"Pam. You know what to do and be sure to give Stackhouse instructions about his duties." Before another word was spoken I felt myself being propelled upward.

"Jesus Christ," I gasped as I clutched tighter to Eric. "You can fly."

Before he could acknowledge my statement, my body decided it didn't need any more excitement tonight and for the first time in my life I fainted.

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A/N: I have to say that I'm not really that pleased with this chapter so I'd really love some feedback on how you thought it went. What did you like? What didn't you like or what did you think could have been better? I thought Sookie deserved a little fainting spell after the night she's had so far, but let me know your thoughts. It will help me do better in the future to have your feedback so please review.

As always, thanks for reading and I already have the next chapter planned out so it shouldn't take as long to write and I promise a little bit of lemons.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I am so sorry this has taken so long to post. I had intended to write this very quickly but my muse was stubborn. She got inspired for a one-shot and was holding this story captive until I completed it. Finally, almost 10,000 words later, I was able to get her cooperation on my original story. However, then real life got in the way for a few days. So, I'm sorry for the delay.

By the way, the other story will probably be up by the end of the week and I may continue to develop it into longer story if there's enough of a response.

Anyway, I'm sorry for the long note. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anything.

* * *

The first thing I was aware of were the cool fingers softly caressing my cheek and sweeping my hair behind my ear. I didn't have to open my eyes to know that it was Eric. As much as I hated to admit it, I was finding this gesture of his, which had become quite commonplace in the past two nights, to be comforting.

I slowly opened my eyes to find that I was lying on the bed in my room at Eric's – well, our - home. He was sitting on the bed beside me studying my face.

"Hey," I whispered.

"Welcome back." He answered with a half-smile.

"Back?" I was confused. Where had I been?

"You passed out." I looked at his disbelievingly. "It was a long night for you Sookie. Emotionally and physically." He stroked my jaw and I flinched back from the pain. I'd forgot about Amy's right hook.

"I've never passed out before." I grumbled. "I don't like it."

"Well, we'll do our best to keep the next two days relaxing so you don't have to worry about it anymore." He smiled and had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Unless you plan on becoming the first vampire to faint."

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him as I pushed myself up into a seated position and leaned on the headboard. It was bad enough that I'd gotten cut and punched, and then fainted; I wasn't going to lie around like an invalid.

"How's your jaw?" He asked while holding my chin up to inspect the damage.

"Fine." I answered defiantly, but the effect was ruined as he lightly pushed on the side of my face and I jerked away from the pain again.

"Always so stubborn." He chuckled slightly under his breath as he moved to lean back against the headboard beside me.

"Well, it took twenty-four years of practice to perfect my stubborn streak so I'm glad you appreciate it."

"Oh, I'm sure it will provide equal parts entertainment and annoyance throughout the centuries."

"I'll do what I can." I responded with annoyance.

We fell into a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes. I actually thought it was odd that I wasn't threatened by his presence in my bedroom and I didn't feel awkward with the silence between us. I couldn't help but think that part of my newfound comfort with Eric was due to Pam's assurances earlier in the night that he would never force himself on me. Also, I was starting to realize that a lot of my thoughts about Eric had been clouded by Bill's opinion and the persona Eric marketed at his bar. Not that I thought Eric was anything close to an angel, but I really needed to forget about Bill's words and judge Eric based on his actions. So far, he'd really been stern and bossy with me. He could really piss me off, but it seemed that he was always acting that way to protect me in someway. Then there was the way he held me after my breakdown at Fangtasia. Anyone who saw the Sherriff on his throne would never imagine he could be the type to comfort a crying woman. He was an enigma (Thank you Word of the Day Calendar).

In reality, we had really been through a lot together in the past two nights, and it was really strange when I compared us sitting here now with how I saw him just three nights ago. It actually made me let out an involuntary chuckle before I had a chance to stifle it.

"What's funny?" He asked as he leaned forward slightly to look at me with a raised eyebrow.

"If someone had told me three nights ago that I'd soon be sitting in a bed next to you and completely at ease, I would have told them they'd lost their mind." I explained with a smile.

Eric relaxed again with his back against the headboard. "Not me," he said with a confident tone, "I knew I'd get you in bed with me eventually."

The even, confident tone along with his words sent me over the edge and I doubled over with laughter. I don't know why I thought it was so funny. Perhaps the past forty-eight hours had taken its toll and I just needed the release. Eric didn't say anything and I didn't even turn to look at him as I lost my self in my laughter.

After a minute or two, I controlled myself enough to reply through my continued giggling. "I hate to bust your bubble Mr. Northman but technically I'm not 'in' bed with you since we're on top of the covers."

Before I knew what was happening, Eric was on his back and I was lying on top of his chest. He was grinning up at me, "Oh Lover, if you ever want to change positions, you have only to ask."

I had gasped at the sudden movement, but with his words I broke out with another round of laughter. I should have given him hell for calling me Lover and I should have put some room between his body and mine, but I wasn't thinking about anything serious for the first time in days and I was enjoying it. Plus, I happened to notice that his chest was vibrating a little with his own silent laughter. It made me realize that I couldn't remember ever hearing Eric really laugh.

By the end of my giggle fit, I had actually ended up with my forehead on Eric's chest and tears running down my eyes. It felt good to cry from laughter instead of heartache.

Just like that, my thoughts brought the heartache back and I came back down to earth. Fairies, lost friends, punishments, and death. All of it hit me like a slap in the face as it brought me back to reality. I slid off of Eric with a sigh and lied down beside him on the bed. He kept his arm behind me so that my neck was resting on it as I stared up at the ceiling.

"I killed her." I said softly.

"She would have killed you and your brother. Didn't you say before that you would kill to protect yourself and those you love?" From his conversational tone, you would think we were talking about the weather. That just made me angry. Then I also realized that he didn't disagree when I said I'd killed her.

"In the woods, you said I didn't kill her." I accused while leaning up on my left elbow to look down at him. "You said she fell on a broken tree and that was what killed her."

"What do you want me to do, Sookie?" He sighed while looking me in the eyes with a stern expression. "Do you want me to convince you that it wasn't your fault? Do you want me to tell you that you didn't know what you were doing and there was no way for you to predict that she would fall on a limb, pierce her chest, and die almost instantly? Is that what you are hoping to hear?"

Eric moved so that he was now resting on his right arm and lying on his side so that he was facing me. "I could tell you all those things and they would be true, but would it really make a difference?" He brushed a piece of hair behind my ear again and I found that act of softness combined with his stern voice unsettling. "If the fall hadn't killed her and she would have gotten back up, wouldn't you have continued to fight her and killed her if you had to do so in order to protect yourself and your brother?"

I looked away from him and stared at my closet door that was visible over his shoulder. I didn't want to answer his question and I was sure he would read the answer in my eyes if I let him. Of course, Eric wasn't one to be avoided.

"Look at me, Sookie." He waited until I reluctantly complied before he continued his lecture. "I'm not going to coddle you now and say I'm sorry she's dead because I'm not. The truth is she was going to die one way or another, no matter how you might have judged me after the fact. She was the one that had caused the most damage and was truly dangerous to our kind. I will say I'm sorry that you find this distressing, but this is a part of our existence that you will have to accept. Survival for a vampire often times comes down to kill or be killed."

"So you want me to be okay with being a murderer?" I spat at him.

"What would happen if a human went to their authorities and told them that they shot an intruder after the intruder tried to shoot and kill them? You were protecting yourself, Sookie. Even humans would acknowledge that and would not punish you." He growled with me.

I knew he was right. I had even known it when I was yelling in the woods earlier tonight, but it was just hard to know that I had ended someone's life. I also certainly didn't want to acknowledge Eric's words and their implication for my future as a vampire.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." I grumbled as I flopped back on the bed.

Eric studied me for a minute before lying back down beside me as we resumed our positions from earlier. After a couple of minutes, I found myself wondering how long I'd been unconscious.

"What time is it anyway?"

"Almost 5:00." Wow. I had been out for a while. "I've left a list of questions in the kitchen for you to ask Fintan when he visits this afternoon. I want you to make sure you ask each one and get as much detail as possible. I especially want you to talk about that little light of yours. Find out if he thinks it will stick around after your change and if he knows how you can control it."

"Okay." I sighed. I didn't want to think about the light because it made me think about Amy.

"Also, don't forget that Alcide will be coming to the door at Noon so that you can try to read him." I nodded in acknowledgment. "We have to go by Fangtasia to meet with the lawyer and sign some papers after I rise but then I'm taking you out for the evening."

"Out?" I replied and I'm sure my voice revealed my shock.

"Yes. Didn't I tell you that we'd have time tomorrow to get to know each other?" He turned his head to grin wickedly at me. "I thought you might like a nice dinner and a change of scenery. Plus there's a bit of a surprise for you at the end of the night."

"I don't know if I can handle anymore surprises." I groaned.

"Oh, I'll be sure to make it a good surprise." He smirked at me.

"I guess I'll have to take your word for it."

"That's wonderful. Your trust in me grows every moment." Eric replied smugly as he leaned up on his elbow to look down at me again.

"Do you ever let anyone else get the last word?" I don't know why I asked. I already knew the answer.

"Nope." That earned me an even bigger smirk.

"Then my first goal in my undead life will be to get the last word with you."

"Good luck." Eric replied and we both chuckled a little before he reached back out to touch my jaw again.

"The bruising is getting worse." He observed. "We will exchange blood now and it should be completely healed by the time you wake up."

I immediately blushed as I remembered the last exchange. Of course, my embarrassment earned me another wicked smile from Eric. I was really providing him with plenty of entertainment tonight, but I had to admit the lighthearted banter was nice after all the drama.

Apparently Eric decided to get things started before I had a chance to freak out too much, because the next thing I knew we were face to face with me straddling his lap and his back against the headboard. My face felt like it was on fire and I'm certain that it was redder than the fresh blood that was just under the surface of my cheeks. I'd only ever been truly intimate with Bill and being this close to Eric made me very nervous. I wasn't oblivious to the fact that he was a living Adonis that exuded sex appeal but I just wasn't raised to think about sex as causally as Eric did.

He used the few seconds I took to collect myself to start talking so that I didn't have a chance to yell at him for placing us in this compromising position.

"You know, I originally thought it would be fun to see how quickly I could corrupt you." I started to blurt out something nasty to show my indignation, but he covered my lips with his thumb before I could respond. Then he continued speaking in a low, and I'll admit it, very sexy tone.

"However, I'm finding your innocence to be quite refreshing, incredibly entertaining, and surprisingly sexy." Eric had started tracing my lips with his thumb as he spoke and I could not suppress the shiver that ran through my body. I could tell his lust was rising as well since I could feel the evidence of his arousal from my position on his lap.

His cool hand moved to stroke my blazing cheek but I found myself unable to pull away from his touch or his gaze. There was just something about the mixture of sexuality, danger, gentleness, strength, authority, and mystery that he had shown me in the past two days that made it hard for me to turn away from him. He gently cupped my cheek as he continued, "I must also admit that I think I'll miss the way I can make you blush so easily and I really wish we had a little longer before your change." He whispered as he leaned forward to kiss my neck. "Your blood is so unique."

I was completely lost in the moment without any rational thought. I expected to feel his cool lips against my neck but instead his whole body stiffened and he pulled back to look at me. His look had completely changed and he looked angry. I couldn't fathom what I had done to make him mad.

"Did Amy choke you?" He demanded.

"Huh?" I know it wasn't a very intelligent reply but I couldn't figure out how we got pulled from where we were headed and back on the topic of Amy. Maybe I should take that as a sign and slow down this little session that had started to go down a very slippery slope.

"Did she choke you?" He repeated.

"Uh. No." I was still confused and I tried to crawl back off his lap to regain my composure. Of course, Eric didn't let me move an inch.

"Then who did?" He insisted.

"What are you talking about Eric?" I needed to know where this was coming from.

"Your neck is bruised. I can see the outline of fingers. Did one of your so-called friends do this?" He glared at me. "Tell me who hurt you."

My mind went back to Pam holding me against the van. Shit. I didn't want to tell him about that conversation. While I was thinking, I must have let something pass across my face because before I could figure out what to say, Eric was speaking again. He was always doing that. I just couldn't catch a break with him.

"I will not allow you to protect someone who harms you." He hissed. "You are mine. No one will harm you without being punished."

"I'm not property Eric." Now, I was pissed. I'd heard enough of this crap with Bill and I wasn't dealing with it again. "I'm my own person not something you own."

"Don't start lecturing me with your crazy human ideas about independence or the latest fashion in feminism." He groaned impatiently. "It's a word Sookie. You may not use it in exactly the same way but it's not that different from when you might refer to _your_ friends or _your_ family or _your _lover. Vampires are just more possessive, definite, and protective in their relationships. Whether you like it or not, you are mine. Just as I will be _your_ Maker and Pam will be _your _sister."

I really needed to regain control over my face because after a lifetime of controlling my facial features, I was giving too much away tonight. As soon as Eric said Pam's name, my mind was back to working out how I could hide my argument with her from Eric. He was too fast though and he caught on to my reaction when he said her name.

"Pam." He growled.

"What?" I replied with what I'm sure was too much innocence.

"Don't play dumb." He ordered. "When I felt Pam's anger and your fear tonight, I called and she said you had a sisterly spat. She did this to you."

There wasn't a question in his tone. He knew the answer already and there was nothing I could do to hide it now.

"It was my fault." I replied softly looking away. "I don't want her punished."

"What you want doesn't matter. She disobeyed and did so knowing she would be punished. I remember she even said it was worth it on the phone." He replied coolly before grabbing my chin to pull it back where I had to look at him again. "Her punishment will be decided later. What I want to know is what caused this 'spat' that made Pam harm you. She is always very in control of her emotions. It's been a long time since I've felt so many emotions that strongly from her."

"I don't want to talk about it, Eric." I resisted but I knew it was useless.

"That's not a choice for you right now." He responded. "Tell me."

"No."

Well, that defiance earned me a menacing growl. "Don't make me punish you as well."

"Argh! What is it with you and punishments?" I shrieked with my frustration.

"Do not change the subject. Tell me."

I decided I wasn't going to be able to avoid this subject with him so I would try and be vague.

"I was trying to ease some of my nerves about things and I asked a few questions about vampire stuff. Without thinking through how it would sound, I asked one question that ended up being really insulting toward you, but that wasn't my intention. I just have my own demons and I needed some reassurance. My insecurity wasn't really about you specifically as it was my past." I tried to explain as I rambled without any real details. "Needless to say, Pam was pissed that I insulted you, but we worked it out."

"I see." His face was unreadable. "And what did you ask?"

"Please. Don't make me tell you." I pleaded. I could feel the tightening in my throat that signaled tears trying to escape. Thinking about my disagreement with Pam earlier inevitably brought up my childhood nightmare and I really didn't need to deal with that again tonight.

"Would you rather I ask Pam?" He challenged me.

"No." My response was immediate and a little panicked. "No. Please don't. It's over. Why can't you just drop it? Please."

"I don't want to distress you more tonight, but whatever this 'demon' is from your past is causing you to suffer a wide range of volatile emotions just by merely referencing it. Something that controls your emotions that strongly could be perceived as a weakness and used against you in the future. I can take the insult but I must understand the weakness in order to protect you."

"Its personal, Eric" I whispered and I could feel a few tears escape my eyes.

"Sookie," he answered softly as he placed his hands gently on both sides of my face "we will be bonded tomorrow. Very soon we will be able to keep very little from each other."

I swallowed loudly trying to stop the tears before answering. "Just not tonight. I've had enough today. Please." I knew I was begging but I really couldn't handle any more. I had found out about creatures I never knew existed, learned I was part-fairy and part-witch, had a breakdown about feeding on humans, lost two friends, shot light from my hands, and killed someone. I was done for the day and, for once, my pride was the last thing on my mind.

Eric studied me for a minute before leaning forward and kissing the tears off my cheeks. I closed my eyes as he whispered against my skin. "Alright, älskare. Not tonight."

I sighed with relief and relaxed into Eric's cool hands, which were still cupping my face. I allowed myself to feel comforted by his lips against my cheeks as he kissed away the remainder of my tears. When all the tears were gone, he slowly kissed a path down the uninjured side of my jaw until his lips were lightly brushing back and forth against my lips.

I didn't open my eyes. I simply enjoyed the gentleness of Eric's actions as his lips caressed my face. I felt comforted and cared for in a way I hadn't felt since Gran's murder. Even though it had been less than a month since Gran died, it felt like a lifetime and I felt more alone every day. I was almost desperate to feel connected to someone. So, when his lips brushed against mine, I responded with equal gentleness as I slowly traced his lips with my tongue.

I felt his body react immediately to my actions, as he grew harder beneath me. Eric slowly moved both of his hands around to the back of my head and buried them in my hair as we both deepened our kiss. God, could he kiss. It was perfect. He was gentle but in control, sexual but sensual, cool to the touch but also heating my entire body.

After a few minutes of unhurried kissing, Eric slowly shifted our position so that I was lying on my back and he was on top of me. He supported himself so that I didn't feel too much of his body weight but what I did feel made me feel safe and protected. To me, even though I couldn't deny the sexuality of our actions, our closeness was more about comfort, safety, and trust than it was about sexual satisfaction. Not that the kiss wasn't satisfying as of course.

In addition to enjoying each other's mouths, our hands were also busy learning the other's body. I felt his hand as it blazed a trail from my neck all the way down to my thigh. Once there, he slowly cupped the back of my thigh and moved my leg so that it wrapped around his waist. In turn, my hands, which had started on his hips, gradually traced the outline of the muscles of his back until both hands were lost in his blonde hair. Our movements were as unhurried as our kissing and we both avoided the most sensual and sexual places.

I don't know how long we had been lost in our kiss before I distinctly tasted blood in my mouth. It was strange because I didn't flinch away from the taste or even feel very surprised. Instead, it felt right and I instinctually traced my tongue along Eric's fang and used its sharp tip to cut my tongue. Eric groaned when the taste of my blood reached him and we both started stroking and sucking each other's tongue as we shared blood for the second time.

By the time we had both devoured every drop of blood that mingled in our mouths, I was in desperate need of air. Apparently sensing my need, Eric slowly kissed back up my jaw to my ear as he cupped the back of my neck with his hand and whispered in my ears.

"Unfortunately, I can not stop the dawn for you Lover. I must take my leave." His low voice vibrated against my ear making my skin tingle. Then he kissed the sensitive spot right behind my ear before continuing. "But we will have plenty of time together tomorrow." He drew a line back up my cheek by skimming it with the tip of his nose before placing a gentle kiss on my lips and pulling back to look at me. "And I believe you will need some rest before starting another day."

I felt so relaxed and comfortable in his arms that I just nodded and, by the satisfied smirk on his face, I'm sure I had some sort of goofy grin on my face.

Eric gently moved off the bed before leaning down to kiss me on the forehead.

"Sleep well, min milda krigare." He murmured against my skin and then turned to walk for the door.

"Eric?" I asked when he was just about to close my bedroom door behind him.

"Yes?" He answered as he peaked back inside.

"Was that Swedish?" I yawned out the words and turned over on my side.

"Yes." I could hear the question in his voice.

"Will you teach me? It sounds pretty."

"Yes. I think it's beautiful language too. But of course you also hate it when you can't understand my conversations with Pam." I had my eyes closed but I'm sure he was grinning.

"That too." It was work to get the words out. I was exhausted.

If he answered, I didn't hear it. The only thing I remembered was hearing his deep, muffled laughter as he walked away.

Unexpectedly, the sound of his laughter made me feel safe and warm. Holding onto those feelings, I allowed them to override my weariness from the day and I fell into a deep sleep.

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Translation:

min milda krigare - My Gentle Warrior

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm sure you all are hoping for more Sookie/Eric action, but I want the progression of their relationship to be natural and in character. I felt this was a good time to progress a little since Sookie had such a horrible night, but both characters have some things to learn and some walls to take down still. I promise it will be worth it.

As a side note, I'm looking for a Beta. If anyone's interested, please send me a PM.

Please review and let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. As always, thank you all for your reviews and adding me to your alerts. This one is a little short but I thought it needed to stand-alone. The next one will be longer.

FYI – I've added a couple of new stories to my profile if you want to check them out. I've posted some information about one of the stories in my author's note at the end of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the toys. I'm just pulling their strings for a little while.

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_I was crying as I stood at the sink, in my Gran's kitchen, trying to wash the blood off my hands. It wouldn't come off no matter how hard I scrubbed. It was as if the blood had permanently stained my skin._

_A wrinkled hand reached out from behind me to turn off the water. I refused to turn around and face the person I knew was standing behind me. I wouldn't be able to handle the disappointment I knew I'd see in her eyes._

"_It's no use, child. Blood always stains." Gran said softly, "I'm afraid it will be on your hands forever."_

"_I'm sorry." I cried, as I turned around to wrap my arms around her waist in a tight hug. I was so afraid she would hate me for what I'd done. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to do it."_

"_Hush child." Gran whispered as she stroked my hair. "Better her than you or someone you love."_

"_But now everyone will know I'm a bad person." I said desperately, as I stepped back from her and looked at my blood stained hands. "Everyone will see."_

"_What have I always told you Sookie? Don't let others shape the way you see yourself." She said sternly. "Do you think you're a bad person?"_

"_I killed her, Gran. I'm a murderer." I sighed softly as the tears continued to pour down my face._

"_No. A murderer would have killed her out of spite, greed, or just for fun. Their stains would be a display of the darkness they carry in their souls." _

_She grasped my bloodstained hands as she continued. "You did not take joy in ending her life. You did what you had to do. You were courageous. Your stains show others that you will stand strong and protected what is yours." _

"_But she's dead."_

"_Yes, she is." Gran agreed before continuing. "Sookie, it's sad. She was a person filled with greed, hate, and no morals, but you didn't cause her to be that way. You can regret that she didn't have the right guidance in her life to lead her down the right path, but don't regret protecting what is yours."_

"_You sound like Eric." I whispered._

"_Then maybe you should trust him more if he gives the same advice as I do." Gran scolded before wrapping her arms around me in a comforting hug. _

"_You could never be a bad person, baby girl. Your heart is too pure." _

_I wrapped my arms back around her to let her warmth and love take away my remaining doubts. "Thank you, Gran. I love you."_

"_I love you too. Nothing will change that." Gran placed a gentle kiss on my cheek before stepping back out of our embrace. "Now, you be sure to cleanup the sink before you head off to bed!"_

_I half-smiled at my Gran. "Of course, Ma'am."_

_I turned around to cleanup the mess I'd made, but I was no longer in the kitchen and the sink had disappeared. Now, I was in the darkened cemetery by my house and I was standing in front of my Gran's grave. I immediately fell to my knees with the overwhelming pain of my grief._

"_No!" I brokenly sobbed while the tears streamed down my face. _

"_No. No. No. It can't be true. You can't leave me Gran. You're all I have. No one else understands me or loves me like you do. I need you. You're everything to me. Please don't leave me alone."_

_Strong arms wrapped around me. I was pulled into a hard chest and my head was gently nudged into the crook of a cool neck. A deep, calming voice whispered in my ear._

"_I told you that you would never be alone. I will always be here. I will be your everything now."_

_I closed my eyes and cried into the chest I now knew belonged to Eric. He ran his hand soothingly up and down my back as I mourned the loss of my Gran. _

_When I opened my eyes again, we were lying in my bed at our home. My back was against Eric's chest as he spooned me from behind and softly stroked the small amount of skin on my stomach that was exposed below the hem of my shirt. I felt so safe and cared for in his arms. I relished the feeling and I needed more of it._

_I turned in his arms to face him. He looked down at me questioningly before I leaned forward and gently kissed his lips. He didn't hesitate in returning the kiss with equal gentleness. _

"_Eric?" I whispered against his lips._

"_Lover?" He whispered back without interrupting our kiss._

"_Make love to me. I need to feel loved. I need you." I spoke in a husky voice as I peppered kisses along his jaw._

"_As I need you." He rolled us over and he was leaning his weight on his arms to allow him to hover above me on the bed. Then he began kissing his way down my neck and towards my chest. _

"_Sookie," I heard my name called from the corner of the room. I turned my head towards the voice as Eric ripped my shirt to expose my bra. Bill was leaning against the wall looking at me with pity. "Do you really think he's any better than me? You are so naïve." _

"_Aaahhh." I moaned and my back arched off the bed as Eric ripped off my bra and captured my nipple in his mouth. _

"_I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Bill mused from the corner as I buried my hands in Eric's hair to encourage his attention to my breasts. "You were so easy for me to manipulate and Eric has centuries more practice. Plus, you have had a lot of his blood now."_

_My attention was drawn back to Bill as his words broke through my lust-induced haze. "What? His blood?"_

_My next words were lost in Eric's mouth as he pulled me into a heated kiss and his hands ripped away my jeans and lacy underwear. I was already wet and ready for him so when his fingers moved down to my warmth, they slid in easily and I moaned into his mouth._

"_Of course, Sookie." Bill answered steadily from his place in the corner. He acted as if he couldn't see what Eric and I were doing on the bed. "We are vampires. It's always about the blood."_

"_Lover," Eric whispered as he nibbled on my ear lobe and slid deep inside me. _

_I hadn't even noticed when he had removed his clothes, but feeling his naked body against mine and his length inside of me was heaven. I was complete. _

_Our pace was slow and sensual. Our mouths explored each other's neck and chest while our hands learned every secret of the other's body. I had never felt such tenderness. I felt like I was home, and before long I was nearing my release._

_Eric gently kissed my neck and whispered, "Forever, min Älskare," before he slipped his fangs into my neck. His bite was enough to send me over the edge and I was screaming from the intensity of my orgasm._

_Suddenly, I heard a pounding noise that distracted me from my blissful state. _

_I looked to the corner and Bill was pounding on an invisible wall. I don't know how I knew it was an invisible wall but I did. He appeared to be using all his strength to break through and get to me as Eric continued to draw blood from the wound on my neck. _

"_NO! She is mine. I must take her to my Queen!" he yelled as I felt Eric suck harder on the wound and stiffen inside me. The sensation of his mouth on my neck and the force of his orgasm sent me over the edge again._

_As the knocking continued and I started coming down from blissful state, I realized my body was becoming heavier and my heartbeat was slowing. _

"_Sookie!" Bill yelled as he continued to pound on the wall that kept him away from us. "Sookie!"_

_I was finding it really hard to keep my eyes opened when Eric finally pulled away from my neck and looked down at me as he bit into his wrist. _

"_Sookie!" Even though my body felt like lead and it was getting harder to think straight, I was startled when my name was called by a voice I didn't recognize. _

_I tried to look around but my body was too heavy. The pounding was getting louder too but Bill was no longer in the room. _

_The strange voice filled the room again when it yelled, "Sookie! Sookie! Are you there?" _

My eyes flew open and I gasped. I felt shaken. Something had startled me and woke me up. What was it?

I heard pounding and my name being called, "Sookie? Sookie? Answer the door or I'm going to have to break it down!"

"Shit," I mumbled as I glanced at the little clock by my bed. It was five after twelve and I was supposed to meet Alcide at Noon. I had fallen asleep in my clothes from yesterday and without setting an alarm. This was a great start to my day.

Since I was still dressed, I jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs to let him inside.

I didn't think Eric would appreciate the Were breaking his door.

I think I was talking before I had even fully opened the door, "I'm so sorry. We got home right before dawn and I fell asleep in my clothes without setting an alarm."

I had the door open by the time I finished my apology. The man standing on the doorstep was _huge_. He had green eyes and tousled black hair that was thick and curly. He also looked mighty put out but also somewhat surprised.

I understood his feelings of annoyance toward me, since he had probably been standing here for the past five minutes trying to get me to answer the door, but I didn't understand the surprise.

"Well, I guess that's better than finding out you were hurt or worse." He smiled slightly. "I'm Alcide Herveaux."

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm so sorry. I just don't function without coffee." I laughed as I reached out to shake his hand. "I'm Sookie Stackhouse. Why don't you come in and have some coffee while we talk?"

"Thanks, but Northman made it really clear what would happen if my scent was in the house for any other reason than to protect you."

His tone made it obvious what he thought about Eric and his threats. Definitely not a fan of the Sherriff, but I guess I couldn't blame him either since Eric had threatened his family if he failed at his job.

"Well, that's just crazy since he told you to come talk to me." I huffed but he looked unconvinced. "Fine, why don't you go around back and sit down? I'll join you in a minute with coffee for two. Do you want a bagel?"

"That would be great." Alcide replied with a full smile this time before he started to walk back off the porch to head around back.

After closing the door and starting a pot of coffee to brew, I ran back upstairs to straighten myself up a bit. I brushed my teeth and pulled my hair back up into a ponytail. My clothes had some dirt smudges on them from the night before so I quickly changed into jeans and a t-shirt before heading back downstairs. I would have to get this test with Alcide over with quickly so I could take a shower and get ready to see my grandfather.

I poured two cups of coffee and took them out onto the patio. After finding out that Alcide took his coffee black, I set the cups down and told him I'd be right back with the bagels and cream cheese. I'd seen both of the items in the kitchen yesterday when I made dinner, so I grabbed them quickly and made my way back out to sit with Alcide.

"I want to apologize again for making you wait. Last night was plum full of problems and I barely even remember falling asleep." I stated as I took my seat beside Alcide.

"It's okay. I'm sure keeping vamp hours has to be hard." I could hear the edge to his voice but I could also feel some curiosity.

Oh! I hadn't even been paying attention to my shields and I hadn't even started trying to read his mind. I really needed to drink my coffee to get my brain in gear.

When I dropped my shields completely to listen to Alcide, his mind felt like it was buzzing and pulsing with energy. It's hard to explain but it kind of had a red hazy feel to it. I couldn't really get a good read from him though. No real words, but I could get a general feel of his emotions. Right now he was bitter, cautious, and curious.

Since his face showed some of his curiosity, I decided to just come out with it. "You look like you have something you want to ask me."

"Well," he shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat, "I don't want to offend you but you really aren't what I expected. What's a good girl like you doing hanging out with Northman? You don't look anything like those sick bitches that are always throwing themselves at vampires."

It was my turn to shift a little in my seat. I liked his directness and honesty but I could tell he really hated vampires. I didn't know how he'd react if I told him my story and I wasn't sure if Eric would want me to do so. I decided to evade the question for the moment.

"What did Eric tell you about me?"

"Not much." Alcide admitted, as he cocked his head to the side studying me. "He said you were important and there were others who would like to take you. Other than that," he shrugged "most of our conversation centered around what would happen to me and mine if I didn't do my job to his satisfaction."

"Oh." I could pick up his honesty as well as his hate for Eric from his mind. If Eric didn't tell him about me, I wasn't sure if I should. "Did he tell you why he wanted you to come see me today?"

"He said you wanted to meet your guard."

I felt the apprehension in his mind as he spoke the words. I guess my line of questioning had alerted him to the fact that there was a lot more going on here than he was told.

"So, are you going to tell me what's really going on?"

"I don't know yet," I sighed as I took another bite of my bagel and relaxed back in my chair to think. If Eric wanted me to keep everything a secret, wouldn't he have made a point to tell me? Or did he just assume I would know to keep it all to myself? I'd like to test a couple of more things out with Alcide, but I'd have to tell him about my telepathy in order for him to cooperate. Well, Eric wanted me to test myself with a Were, so he was just going to have to accept my decision to tell him about my ability.

"Look, I'm going to tell you why you're meeting with me right now because I need to do so in order to do this right, but I'm guessing you better not tell anyone or Eric will not be happy." I was afraid it sounded like I was threatening him but I knew Eric would be mad if he went around blabbing his mouth. I thought I should at least warn him.

"Fine." He answered gruffly and I knew he was unhappy with my words, but they were for his own good.

"I'm a telepath." He stiffened in his chair and I took a deep breath. "I've never met a Werewolf and Eric wanted me to find out if I could read your mind."

Alcide was obviously not happy with this information and I didn't really expect him to be. Who really wants to know that their thoughts are not private?

I decided to let him off the hook a little.

"I can't read you like I can plain ole humans." I reassured him. "Your mind is really hazy. Mostly I get emotions."

Alcide visibly relaxed a little. "So what do you get from humans?"

"Pretty much everything." I shrugged before I mumbled. "More than you'd ever want to know."

"I've never heard of a real telepath before." He mumbled back. I thought he was just searching for something to say as he digested my secret, because who really would have thought telepaths truly existed? Then again, who would have thought werewolves and fairies were real?

After a couple of moments in silence, I decided to move on to the rest of my test.

"Alcide, I want to try two more things if you don't mind" I asked him shyly. "I really don't like invading people's privacy so I promise it will only take a minute."

"Alright, I guess." He agreed reluctantly after studying me for a minute.

"Thanks." I said putting down the coffee cup I had been holding and reaching out my hand. "I'd like to try reading you while holding your hand. With humans it makes their thoughts clearer and I want to know if it works the same with you. Is that okay?"

"Why not?" He tried to laugh it off. "I don't guess you want to tell me my fortune too?"

"Telepath, Alcide. Not psychic." I reprimanded him with a small smile as I took his hand.

His thoughts were still hard to read but I was able to get a couple of broken phrases. I knew he really wanted to protect his privacy, because I caught enough phrases to know he was singing the national anthem in his head. I also read the words '_hope she can't hear me' _and _'not like I need to hide.'_

Well, at least the last phrase was reassuring and I felt like he was trustworthy enough for my purposes.

"Well?" Alcide asked after a minute or two. I released his hand before replying with a smile.

"It's still hard but I can catch a few phrases. Nowhere near as clear as humans though." I couldn't resist teasing him then. "You know, singing a song in your head doesn't really work." I saw the surprise on his face and I laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"What do you mean it doesn't work?" He actually seemed more interested than aggravated so I took that as a good sign.

"People have tried it with me before but whatever they're really thinking is right under the song and still comes through. The only two things I got from you were that you were hoping I couldn't hear you and you didn't have anything to hide." I explained and he relaxed even further.

"Okay then, so what's the last test?" He still seemed apprehensive but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"I'd like you to try to think at me. I'm interested to see if I can get everything if you are really trying to let me hear you." I wasn't sure if it would work because I'd never tried it with anyone, but it was worth a shot.

Alcide looked away and out over the pool area. '_I've always loved swimming. We have a pool a little smaller than this at my father's house.'_

"I love to swim too, but we never had a swimming pool. We went to the county pool a few times every summer when I was a kid." He looked at me and the shock was evident on his face. However, I was happy that my theory was correct so I just had a big smile on my face.

"Wow. I guess that test was a success then." He finally laughed.

"Yes." I agreed. "Thanks for being my test subject. I know it makes people uncomfortable when they know what I can do so I appreciate your help."

"I won't lie and say it still doesn't freak me out a bit, but you seem nice so I don't think you'd use anything against me." He grimaced before continuing, "So, is that why Eric has you here? Is he holding you to use your telepathy?"

Crap. I thought I got away from this subject.

"No. Not really." I mumbled and looked away.

"Uuh-hu." It was obvious he didn't believe me.

"I . . . Well . . . I." Was I really going to tell him the whole story? I wasn't really sure what to say so I just started talking. "It's a really long story Alcide, but I agreed to be turned to save an innocent girl's life." He gasped but I continued. "The person in charge offered Eric the role of my Maker and he accepted."

"Are you nuts?" He stood up and looked down at me with a look of horror on his face. "You're going to be a bloodsucker? Why would you do that?"

"Look, I've already heard enough of this from my friends and family." If I hadn't let them push me around then I certainly wasn't going to let a guy I just met make me feel stupid. I decided it was time for him to leave. "It's my decision and it's done. Thank you for your help today. I have to get ready for an appointment later."

I walked away from him and back into the house without another word. I was done justifying myself to others.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Please read and review.

Also, I wrote an entry for the "I Write the Song Contest" and it's made it to the Top 8 for the fans to pick their favorites. I've included the link to the story and teaser below. You just need to replace the (dot) with periods.

www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6461584/1/Bring_Me_to_Life

TITLE: "Bring Me to Life"

TEASER: What if things went a little bit differently at Rhodes? What if Quinn wasn't all that he seemed to be? What if Sookie decided to take matters into her own hands with Eric? Inspired by the Evanescence song "Bring Me To Life"

Please stop by the contest website if you have time. There are tons of great new stories posted and you can take the chance to vote for your favorite two stories. The poll is at the top of the page and voting ends November 14th.

www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2491610/I_Write_The_Songs


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. I had major's writer block with the beginning of this chapter. I must have re-written it ten times. I think I'm back on track now though. I intended to make this chapter longer, but I wanted to reward you all for waiting so patiently. Thank you so much for all of your reviews and encouragement. The holidays and real life have limited my time to reply, but I read and cherish each one.

I hope you enjoy the chapter. Please review.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

* * *

While standing on the patio behind Eric's house, I wrapped my arms around my torso in an attempt to comfort myself. My emotions were a mess and, as I watched the last bit of orange and red fade from the sky, I couldn't help but wonder for the hundredth time if I'd made a mistake.

The last couple of days have been an emotional rollercoaster for me due to the dramatic revelations and life altering decisions, but it is my conversation today with my newly discovered fairy grandfather that has left me questioning everything I thought I knew.

After my dismissal of Alcide earlier in the afternoon, I made myself lunch, took a shower, and got dressed. I didn't know the details of Eric's plan for the evening so I decided to wear my yellow sundress. It was strapless, short, and had a mostly open back. At first, I was worried it was too sexy and might give Eric too many ideas, but I decided I didn't care because it was comfortable and familiar. Two things I desperately needed right now.

When Fintan arrived at two o'clock, we spent the first hour or so talking about my life, the Fairy realm, and my other fairy relatives. Of course, I took time to go over the list of questions Eric and I had each put together, but Fintan didn't really have a lot of insight into what would happen to my fairy powers when I became a vampire. Honestly, I didn't think Fintan told me anything Eric would find useful but I was certain I'd have to recount the entire conversation to Eric later regardless of my opinion on the subject.

Towards the end of my grandfather's visit the mood turned darker and more serious as he told me about the unrest in the Fairy world and the danger I would be in if anyone found out about me while I was still human. Well, mostly human.

"_So, let me get this straight." I knew my tone was indignant but this was a lot to take in. "Other fairies would want to capture me and torture me because I'm related to this Prince, your father, even though I've never met him and he doesn't know about me."_

"_Yes. You are his blood. It doesn't matter if he doesn't know you, Sookie." Fintan's voice was resigned._

"_But why?" My voice was starting to get louder and higher pitched as I thought about being captured by these evil fairies._

"_They would want to use you to convince my father to do what they want." _

"_But he doesn't know me. Why would they think he would care?" I challenged him._

"_As I said, you are his blood." Fintan's voice was confident and implied there would be no arguing with his logic. "Supernatural beings do not view family the same as humans do, granddaughter. The fact you are his blood means he would kill to protect you and die for you if needed. This is expected amongst fairies when it comes to our bloodline. We protect what is ours." _

_I had no experience with fairies so I couldn't exactly argue with what he was saying. Even if I thought all of this was insane, it didn't mean I could change it. To be honest, he sounded a lot like the vampires with the whole "protect what is ours" mentality. _

_I sighed in defeat. "What is it that these other fairies want from the Prince?"_

"_They want him to close the portals to the human realm." It was Fintan's turn to sigh. "They believe our relationships with humans are to blame for our decrease in fertility and magic. If they had the opportunity, they would kill every fairy/human hybrid."_

"_So, they would want to torture me to blackmail the Prince, but they'd also want to kill me because I'm a hybrid?" I just couldn't win either way._

"_Yes." _

"_Well, that just sucks." I mumbled as I slouched back into the leather of the couch. _

"_Unfortunately, I feel I need to tell you one more thing that is going to cause you pain and anger." Fintan said remorsefully._

_I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before saying, "That seems to be a common theme this past few days, Grandfather. You can just tell me."_

"_Your Mother and Father were killed by water fairies, not a flash flood. They were killed for being hybrids. The fairies were not hunting your family specifically, but they happened to cross paths with them and killed them. We were lucky that you and Jason were not with them and the fairies did not investigate to see if they had any more family."_

"_Wha . . . Why? Why was this kept from us?" I stood up as my anger and disbelief grew. "If these fairies were out there close enough to kill our parents, did it not occur to you that maybe we should know the truth so we could know how to defend ourselves or at least know when to hide?"_

"_I'm sorry for distressing you, Sookie, and I can only say that Adele and I made the best decisions we could at the time. Hindsight is often perfect at illuminating the best path, but it cannot help us go back to the fork in the path when there was still a choice." Fintan stood from his place on the couch and walked over to stand in from of me. He held my hands in a loving grasp as he continued. "I'm truly sorry for the pain, seclusion, and loss you have had to endure. I also want to express my regret for upsetting you so much tonight when you've been through so much these past two days, but I felt you needed to know all the facts before you made your choice." _

"_What choice?" I asked with confusion. _

_My grandfather leaned forward and looked deep into my eyes for a moment before replying to my question._

"_The choice of whether or not you are going to become a vampire."_

I was startled out of my memory by strong arms wrapping around my waist.

"What are you thinking about, Lover?" Eric whispered into my ear.

It was strange how my body automatically relaxed back into his and all my tension seemed to melt away as soon as I heard his voice. When did he start having this effect on me?

Throughout the day, I had stubbornly refused to deeply evaluate any of last night's interaction between Eric and I. It was just Eric attempting to provide comfort.

Very sweet, enjoyable, and sexy comfort.

But still _just_ comfort.

I think.

"I'm hoping tonight is less dramatic and challenging than the last two nights." It wasn't exactly a lie.

"I believe you were thinking about something more, Sookie."

I sighed in response. I didn't want to get into this conversation yet. "It was a very long day. I'll fill you in while we are out later."

"Is there anything I should know sooner?" I couldn't see his face but I knew that eyebrow of his was quirked up to challenge me.

"No. Nothing is going to change in the next couple of hours." I replied evenly to his question, but what I was really thinking was – _Not unless you want those couple of hours to hunt down the grandfather who is offering to help me leave you and stay human._

"Then if you're ready we should head to Fangtasia. I need to take care of a couple of things and my lawyer will be meeting us at 10:00. We will start our evening once we have finished our business with him."

* * *

For the first time in three nights, I actually had an hour of the night that was not filled with drama.

We had left the house right after Eric rose for the night and our drive to Fangtasia had been comfortably silent. He had asked before we left if I wanted to eat dinner before or after we went to Fangtasia and I chose the latter. I had only had "lunch" at around six o'clock. Keeping vampire hours did that to your schedule.

Pam had greeted us with her normal sarcasm and thrown me the latest copy of "Vogue" to keep me entertained while Eric got caught up on work. She said if I was going to be her sister then I needed to learn how to talk fashion.

Whatever.

I didn't have anything better to do so I lounged on the couch in Eric's office and flipped through the magazine. However, the strong smell of perfume coming from the pages started getting on my nerves so I tossed it onto the table beside me and rested my eyes for a few minutes.

I was surprised Eric had been so silent since we left the house. He didn't seem angry or worried at all and it wasn't uncomfortable, but I did feel like he was consciously giving me space. Maybe my emotions from earlier clued him into the fact that I could use a little peace.

I had to admit I did feel a little more grounded after the relative normality of the past hour. Well, as normal as sitting in the office of a vampire nightclub reading the latest copy of Vogue magazine while your soon-to-be bonded maker signs payroll checks and finishes a report to the Vampire Queen of Louisiana on his area income could be.

This was what I now considered normal. I had to chuckle to myself a little.

"Care to share what you find funny?" Eric asked with a slight smile.

"Nothing really." I chuckled a little more. "Just the inner musings of a part-fairy telepath."

Eric retained his small smile as he shook his head slightly and returned to his work.

I decided to drop my shields to see if there was anything interesting in Fangtasia tonight. I had heard the music start about a half hour ago when the doors opened but I hadn't "listened" in on the clientele yet.

After about five minutes of scanning the crowd, I decided I wanted to go out to the bar until the lawyer arrived. I wasn't going to be able to drink alcohol for very much longer so I might as well go and enjoy a gin and tonic.

"Eric?"

"Yes, Sookie." He responded while looking up from his work.

"Do you mind if I go out in the bar until the lawyer arrives?" It was against my nature to ask permission, but it would have been rude to just walk out of the room also. My manners won out over my pride.

"Pam." I was confused for a second as to why he said Pam's name in response to my question, but my confusion quickly morphed into annoyance when I realized he was summoning Pam to be my babysitter.

"Eric! I don't need a babysitter. I'll be 20 feet away."

He didn't address my statement. Instead, he turned his attention to Pam as she entered his office.

"Take Sookie to my booth so she can have a drink. You are to ensure nothing happens to her while she is in the bar."

Pam nodded and motioned for me to make my way out of the office.

I knew arguing wouldn't get me anywhere but I was still annoyed so I huffed as I walked out the door.

"And Pamela?" Eric called out to her as she started to close the door behind us.

"Yes, Eric?"

"I expect you to execute your orders better than you did last night. You will be punished after the Magister's visit for disobeying me." Eric's voice was level and held no emotion but it sent a chill down my back.

"I understand, Master." Pam bowed her head slightly before closing the door.

I followed behind Pam silently as she led the way to a corner booth in the bar. Before we had even settled into our seats, a waitress was waiting to take my order.

_Who the hell is she and why is she sitting in the Master's booth. Humans are never allowed to sit in his booth even if he's here. Why would Pam allow her to sit here? _

"I'm Valerie. What can I get you?" At least she wasn't rude.

"Gin and tonic please."

"Sure thing. Be right back."

_I hope she's gone soon. I've been working here for a month now and I was hoping the Master would . . . _

I stopped listening to her because I really didn't want to know what she wanted Eric to do to her. Besides, I had an apology to give.

"Pam, I'm sorry. He noticed the bruises and put it all together." I started my explanation about what had happened the night before. I didn't want her to think I went crying to "Daddy" to get her in trouble.

"Don't apologize."

"But I need to." I argued.

"No. You don't." There was a note of command in Pam's voice. "I disobeyed our Master, not you."

"Pam, I was the one that . . . "

"Stop it!" She hissed at me. "This is our way, Sookie. Whether you consider it right or wrong or you think I was somehow justified it does not matter. You cannot disobey your Master. You need to understand this or your undead life will be hell until you do. I trust that my punishment will be just. Now, I do not want to talk of this subject again. Do you understand?"

All I could do was nod in response since Valerie chose that moment to return with my drink. However, I believe she may have sensed the tension at our table because she left quickly.

The silence between us was heavy as I sipped on my drink. As a distraction, I decided to scan the crowd again to see if there was anything of interest since the crowd had doubled in the last fifteen minutes.

After a couple of minutes of listening I reported my findings to Pam.

"Pam?" She had gone into downtime during our silence so I waited for her eyes to focus on me before I continued. "The two brunettes in the corner booth are underage. They have fake IDs."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Anything else?"

"I don't know if you care but the blonde waitress, Kelly, is being harassed by two members of the Fellowship of the Sun. They live in her apartment building. They've already keyed her car and they are usually waiting to harass her when she gets off work. It's becoming too stressful for her and she's going to quit."

"Fucking Fellowship." She growled while motioning for a dark haired vampire to approach our booth.

"Maxwell, the two in the corner booth have fake IDs. Escort them out." He nodded before leaving the booth to take care of the problem.

"I'll speak to Kelly later." I didn't know exactly what she would do. I didn't really think she cared what happened to the waitress but I wasn't going to question her about it right now. "Anything else interesting?"

"Not unless you want to know how many sexual fantasies you are currently starring in." I laughed.

Before she could respond, I gasped aloud as when I noticed Maxwell walking back towards our booth. It wasn't his approach that shocked me, but the company he had in tow.

"Jason? Mr. Lancaster?" Seeing Jason again this soon, and at Fangtasia, was surprise enough, but seeing the elderly lawyer in a vampire bar was shocking.

Before either of them could respond, Maxwell addressed Pam.

"This one," Maxwell pointed to Jason, "says you are expecting him, and he brought the other one with him to see his sister."

Pam nodded in dismissal to Maxwell and turned her attention to Jason as soon as the other vampire had left.

"Stackhouse, it's good to know you can follow directions and show up on time, but I don't remember telling you to bring company." Pam sneered at him menacingly.

Mr. Lancaster looked extremely uncomfortable and Jason looked worried so I decided to intervene.

"Pam, Mr. Lancaster is the lawyer that handled my Gran's estate." I thought it best to explain to Pam who he was before finding out why he was here. "Mr. Lancaster, you needed to see me?"

"Yes, Ms. Stackhouse. I'm sorry for tracking you down here. I've left messages at your home and on your cell but I hadn't heard from you. Today, I stopped into Merlotte's looking for you and Jason told me this was the only place he knew of to contact you."

"Is there something wrong with Gran's estate? I thought we finished everything up?" It hadn't been very long since Gran's death but she had all the paperwork in order to make her estate easy to settle.

"No, Ms. Stackhouse. I need to talk to you on a completely different topic." He explained as he looked around him nervously. "Is there somewhere private we can talk?" Poor man. He really was committed to his job to track someone down at a vampire bar. He was sweating bullets.

"Pam?" I looked at her in question.

"Come." She ordered as she rose out of the booth and led us all back down the hallway to Eric's office.

"Enter." Eric ordered before she could knock. I guess he could hear us coming.

"Master, Stackhouse has arrived and brought a Mr. Lancaster whom wishes to speak with Ms. Stackhouse regarding a legal matter."

"What do you need to discuss with her, Mr. Lancaster?" Eric had on his business hat and kept his voice cool and confident as he leaned back in his chair to assess the older man.

"Sir, I'm sorry but I can't speak with you on the matter without Ms. Stackhouse's permission." Mr. Lancaster's words held authority but the delivery was understandably shaky.

Eric gave me a look that conveyed the fact he wanted me to provide permission. However, I wasn't going to give the lawyer the okay without knowing what he came her to discuss. So, I lowered my shields to listen to his thoughts.

_What's Sookie doing in a place like this? She's such a sweet girl. I hate to be the one to tell her about her uncle._

I felt the blood drain from my face and my stomach and fist clinch.

"Sookie?" I turned my gaze to meet his. His normal cold exterior was firmly in place but I knew he had felt my emotions shift.

I swallowed loudly before asking, "Can I just have a couple of minutes with Mr. Lancaster?"

He studied me for a minute before telling Pam and Jason to wait in the hall for a moment.

"Eric?" I knew there was pleading in my voice and I didn't care as long as it worked. I didn't want him here for this.

"No." He wasn't going to budge. I could here it in his voice.

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to settle my nerves. I could do this. Whatever he had to tell me about that devil I would keep calm and keep the conversation away from painful areas.

After calming myself a little, I opened my eyes and turned my attention back to Mr. Lancaster. "Please, have a seat."

After we had settled on opposite ends of the couch, I asked the lawyer about the reason for his visit.

"Ms. Stackhouse, I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this so soon after Adele's passing, but her brother, your uncle Bartlett, has passed on as well." He's voice conveyed sympathy but I was too lost in my own emotions to acknowledge his kindness.

Relief

Guilt

Freedom

More guilt

Bartlett was gone and I no longer had to worry about running into him on the street or him showing up unexpectedly on my doorstep. I was happy he was gone and I knew that made me a horrible Christian. I was taught to forgive those who wronged me, but he had stolen too much from me. I didn't know how to forgive what he did and I didn't really want to. I knew it was wrong to feel relieved he was dead and I had small twinges of guilt that were deeply rooted in my Christian upbringing, but the freedom I felt from knowing he was dead was much more powerful.

"Ms. Stackhouse," The attorney reached over and patted my hand as if to console me. "I'm sorry for your loss."

I realized I had been silent for a few moments and he must have thought I was in shock or grieving. I needed to say something. Something the lawyer would find appropriate for this situation.

"Do you know what happened?" That was a question a grieving family member would ask, right?

"It seems he drowned in the river. It was a little strange since he was in a wheelchair, but the police figure he was on the bank of the river behind his house and fell out of the chair and into the water."

That did sound a little strange. Wouldn't someone in a wheelchair have difficulty getting to a riverbank without help?

It was also ironic that he died _now_. The bastard had been pushed to the darkest recesses of my mind until the past couple of weeks. In fact, I hadn't spoken his name in years until the night I had confided in . . .

My stomach clenched again.

"Mr. Lancaster," I strained to keep my voice calm. Maybe if he heard the emotion and worry behind it then he would attribute it to the loss of a family member. "Were there any marks or injuries to his body?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Eric sit up straighter in his chair. He knew what I was getting at even if the older man in front of me didn't.

"Well . . . you see Ms. Stackhouse . . . " I could tell he was trying to soften the news he was about to deliver. "There are a lot of gators in that river and he had been there a few days."

I swallowed at the visual and shook my head to show that I understood what he was saying. I was also putting together my theory of how the pedophile ended up in the river.

"The reason I was looking for you Dear was to discuss Mr. Hale's will." The lawyer continued after a couple of moments.

"His will?" I was confused. Why would he need to talk to me about his will?

"Yes, Dear. He didn't have much but he left all his monetary wealth to you." He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope. I reached out slowly to take it when he held it out for me. "It's a little over $11,000."

I felt like I would vomit.

I felt used and abused all over again. The asshole was haunting me and taunting me from the grave.

Did he think the money would make up for what he did? Or was he purposefully trying to make me feel horrible by _paying_ me?

Dirty.

I felt dirty and ashamed.

And the fact the bastard could make me feel like this _again_ even when he was _dead_ made me extremely angry.

On top of all of that, I felt guilt. It was a different kind of guilt than before.

Before, I thought he had died naturally and I was just a little guilty that I was glad he was gone. _This_ guilt was different because I had a feeling I had signed his death warrant. I had given a known killer a reason to end my Uncle's life and now I was reaping the _rewards._

Being relieved that he was dead was one thing, but realizing he was murdered because of me was wholly different. Despite everything he did and how much I hated him, I couldn't condone murder. I had enough difficulty justifying killing someone in self-defense.

"He must have cared very much for you." The lawyer continued kindly thus breaking me out of my thoughts.

I couldn't open my mouth to answer him. I wasn't sure if I would throw up, curse, or cry. So, I just nodded and stared at the envelope in my hand.

"Mr. Lancaster," Eric stated as he rose from behind his desk. "I believe Ms. Stackhouse may need some time to herself. Can I have someone show you out?"

"Oh. Yes. Of course." The attorney stuttered as he stood up. It was obvious Eric made him uncomfortable. "Sookie, you let me know if you need anything."

I nodded and continued to stare at the object in my hands.

I guess Eric had someone walk my lawyer out to his car because Mr. Lancaster was gone and Eric was kneeling in front of me trying to get my attention.

"Sookie?" He spoke gently. "Look at me."

I slowly shook my head no. There were several reasons why I didn't want to look at him. First, I was certain he had felt my guilt, shame, and relief. I didn't want to know the conclusions he had come to and I didn't want to answer any questions. I also didn't want to see any pity. My pride was too strong to accept anyone's pity.

The second reason for not looking at Eric was more involuntary. I couldn't seem to take my eyes off the envelope. In my mind, it was now the physical manifestation of all the pain, guilt, fear, shame, and embarrassment I had felt as a child.

A cool finger touched my chin in an attempt to pull my gaze upward. However, I was so lost in my thoughts and emotions that I flinched away from the contact.

Eric withdrew his hand before speaking softly, "Talk to me"

I didn't want to talk. I wanted to run and more than anything I wanted this barrage of historical emotions to go away.

Suddenly, the envelope I was staring at became the cause of all my problems and the root of all evil. I needed to get rid of it. I needed it to be far away from me. I needed to never see it again.

I stood up so quickly that I surprised Eric. I heard him question what I was doing but I ignored him as I walked to the door.

When I opened it, Jason and Pam were still waiting in the hallway like Eric had asked them to do.

"Jason, come in."

Jason looked startled when I opened the door but he came into Eric's office closely followed by Pam.

"Sook, you alright?" He asked guardedly. I guess I must have looked as bad as I felt.

"Fine." I lied. "Mr. Lancaster was here to tell me that Barlett died."

"What? How?" He was shocked and sounded sad. "And why couldn't he tell us together?"

"He fell in the river behind his house and drowned. Mr. Lancaster came to me because Bartlett left his money to me." I explained as quickly as I could.

"Why would he do that?" He said angrily. "I was the one who always took care of his yard and stuff until him and Gran had their fallin' out. You never even liked him."

"I don't know and I don't care." I gritted through my teeth. I wanted this over with. "You can have it." And I thrust the envelope into the space between us.

Jason looked at the envelope for a second before he took a deep breath. "Nah, Sook. I can't take it all. Why don't we split it?"

That was surprising. I expected him to just take it. Was my brother growing up or was he on his best behavior because Eric was watching?

Didn't matter really. It didn't change anything. I didn't want any of it.

"Jason, take it." I shook the envelope at him.

"Sook, I . . . "

"Damn it! Take the fuckin' money." I shoved it into his chest. "I. DO. NOT. WANT. IT"

"Shit. Okay. Fine." He took the check and stepped away from me a little with a confused look on his face.

"Good." I said firmly as I turned towards the door. "I'm going to the ladies room."

I half expected someone to stop me before I reached the door or for Eric to order me to stay, but I made it into the hallway without any interference.

Instead of taking a right to go back down the hall to the bar and the public restrooms, I took a left and went to the employee's locker room. I had used the employee's restroom to wash off Longshadow's remains a few nights ago so I knew it was private.

And that was what I needed.

Privacy.

Luckily, no one was in the locker room or the ladies bathroom so I wasn't stopped along the way. Once inside the room, I closed the door and locked it before leaning my back against the wall and sinking to the floor with my eyes closed.

I wasn't going to cry and I wasn't going to have a melt down. I wasn't going to let the past control me.

I just needed silence. I needed everything to stop for only a minute so I could regain my composure.

I thought I had handled everything really well in the past few nights. Sure, I had moments where I cried, yelled, and lost focus on the important things, but I was dealing with a lot of change. Hell, I had even accepted the fact that my Gran had children with a Fairy!

However, everything I had been learning and adjusting to in the past couple of days was new to me and I was an adult. I could handle most things that came my way. But the news the attorney had shared with me picked at an old scab that made me feel like I was a child again. A child without someone to protect them from the pain, fear, and self-loathing caused by a perverted old man.

The thought pissed me off. The asshole was dead but his death had opened an old wound wide enough to make me feel like I was eight again and needed protection. Damn it! I was even hiding in the fucking bathroom like I used to when he visited.

I was off the floor and on my feet in a second. I walked resolutely over to the sink and checked my make-up and hair in the mirror.

I stared at myself in the mirror for a minute while harnessing my self-confidence and anger.

I was no longer a child. I did nothing wrong. He could no longer hurt me.

"Fuck him." I told my reflection. "Let him burn in hell."

With those words bolstering my self-worth, I unlocked the door and flung it open to find Pam waiting on the other side.

She held up a shot glass for me. It appeared to have some type of clear alcohol in it.

"Thought you might need to wash out your mouth." She smirked. "Southern ladies aren't supposed to curse like sailors."

God bless her for making me laugh. "You're suppose to use soap, Pam."

"That's just crazy. This will taste better." Her voice was so serious as I took the shot from her that I couldn't help but laugh again. She definitely didn't understand the point of the soap. I was glad though because I really could use the alcohol. I wasn't a big drinker but I figured I had plenty of excuses to indulge a little tonight.

"Besides," She continued as I downed the shot and it burned my throat, "this is my last chance to get you drunk unless we run into fairies at some point. Oh! That would be yummy!"

"Pam! Don't you think that would be wrong considering my connections?" I chastised her half-heartedly as we walked back towards Eric's office.

"It's not like you have _connections_ to every fairy!" She countered.

"So, we'll just ask them for their pedigree before drinking I suppose?" I asked sarcastically. This conversation was so wrong on so many levels that I wasn't even repulsed as I talked about _drinking_.

She stopped in the hallway outside of Eric's open door to put her hand on her hip and raise an eyebrow in challenge to my sarcasm. "Are we going to ask every human for _their _pedigree?"

I laughed loudly as I replied, "And witches."

The corner of Pam's mouth actually quirked upward for a moment when I brought my witch ancestry into the mix. However, our temporary reprieve from drama was ended when Eric called to us from his office.

"I hate to interrupt your fun ladies, but it seems we have another issue to attend to tonight."

As we joined Eric and Jason back in his office, I could tell by Eric's clenched jaw that this was going to be another long night.

* * *

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and that I handled the subject matter respectfully. Please review and let me know your thoughts.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Don't worry! I'm still writing and I promise I won't stop until the story is over. We've still got a long way to go before that happens. I apologize for not being to update more regularly. Sometimes its real life getting in the way and sometimes the chapter just doesn't cooperate with me. I really appreciate everyone sticking with the story and all your encouragement. Sometimes when I'm having some problems with writer's block your reviews really help me push through it.

I want to say a HUGE thanks to my beta, Northman Maille. She's reviewed the last few chapters for me and I can't believe I forgot to add an acknowledgement for her hard work to my author's notes. She's wonderful at spotting my errors and pointing out some out of character stuff for me. She rocks!

Hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but I wish I did.

* * *

_Previously: _

_"I hate to interrupt your fun ladies, but it seems we have another issue to attend to tonight."_

_As we joined Eric and Jason back in his office, I could tell by Eric's clenched jaw that this was going to be another long night._

_

* * *

_

"What now?" My tone easily revealed my lack of patience with the never-ending drama that now seemed to be defining my life.

"No, wait. Let me guess." I said as I dropped down onto the couch next to Jason and tapped my chin with one of my fingers. "The Queen has decided to pull rank, or maybe someone else I know is dumb enough to piss off vampires. Oh, I know! Bill has broken out of his coffin prison and is spouting his 'Sook-eh is mine' crap again."

Pam decided to answer my list of possible problems. "The Magister outranks the Queen so she can't pull rank. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those idiots that left your house did do something to piss me off. As for Bill, if he did break out of the coffin, I would wash his mouth out with _soap_ if he even tried to say those words. I'm sick of them."

"You and me both, sister." I agreed with enthusiasm. I think the alcohol was already working. I never could hold my liquor very well.

"ENOUGH." Eric apparently wasn't amused by our exchange.

After he gave us each a glare to make sure we knew he was done with the humor, we found out that Pam and I had not been that far off the mark.

"Someone has called the local news." Eric hissed.

"So, it _was_ option number two." Pam deadpanned as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't understand." Apparently, I was the only one who didn't get it. "Who called the news about what?"

"Someone called the news about you." Eric replied.

"Huh?" I know it wasn't an intelligent reply but it was all I had. Why would someone call the news about me and why would it make Eric so mad?

"Sook," Jason said my name to get my attention. "You know part of my deal with your vamp over there is to tell him what happens in Bon Temps." He emphasized 'that vamp over there' with a head jerk in Eric's direction. Like I didn't know who he was talking about!

I nodded impatiently to show I was following along.

"Today I was at Merlotte's for lunch when this guy comes in that I've never seen before. He looked around for a minute before he walked up to the bar and asked if Sookie Stackhouse worked there. Tara was working the bar and she grumbled 'Not anymore.' Her answer seemed to be just what this guy was lookin' for because he looked all eager and stuff when he said 'Why is that?'"

"Shit. What did she say?" I asked. Tara had been pretty pissed last night and I didn't want her talking to anyone about me.

Jason laughed. "Tara told him it was 'None of his fucking business' right before she told him if he wasn't going to order anything he needed to get the 'fuck away from her bar.'"

Well, that was definitely Tara.

"About the time Tara finished yelling at the guy, Sam came out of the back. He asked what the problem was and the newbie said he was looking for Sookie but he'd learned she didn't work there anymore. Of course, he then asked Sam if he knew why you left."

"And?" Jason had paused to take a drink from the bottle of beer he was holding and I really wanted to slap him for taking a 'time-out.'

"I thought it was best not to let him answer. So, I introduced myself to the guy and told him I was your brother so he should be asking me. Well, that's when he told me he was a reporter from the Shreveport Chronicle. When I asked him what he wanted with you, he didn't answer but he did ask me if I knew where you were. I told him I did, but I wasn't tellin' him anything because he didn't answer _my _question."

"Get to the point Stackhouse." Eric ordered sharply. Like me, his patience was wearing thin. "What did he want and what was he told?"

"Fine. I was just trying to be thorough." Jason shrugged. "It seems the newspaper got an anonymous tip that Sook was being turned and they said it was against her will. He said normally they don't investigate these types of tips because they get so many from families that are mad about the choices their relatives make, but the caller said the vampire involved owned a big bar in Shreveport so the Editor wanted this guy to look into it. They thought it could be a big story."

"And what did he learn while he was at the Shifter's bar?" Eric growled.

"Shifter?" Jason asked.

Damn. I guess he hasn't gotten his Supe 101 lessons yet. "Someone will explain that later. Tell us what the reporter was told."

"I told him that you'd already spoken to me and it was the choice you'd made on your own. He didn't need to be _nosing around_ there making things _more complicated_ for you than they already would be because people were so prejudice against vamps." Jason looked really proud of himself.

"But what about Sam and Tara?" I was thankful for my brother's support but I was worried about what the others might have told the reporter.

"I was worried about them too because they had this look on their faces like this might be the way to 'save you.' So, that's why I looked at them when I stressed 'nosing around' and 'more complicated.' They got the picture that the last thing you needed was some reporter getting wind of your mind readin' thing while he was talking to people in town."

"Did it work?" I asked. I had to admit I was impressed with my brother's craftiness today.

"Well, it kept Sam and Tara quiet, but this guy says he really has to talk to you and your vampire to make sure there's not a story there. We did get him to leave Merlotte's though when we told him we were the only ones who knew. I'm suppose to give you his card and have you call him tonight." Jason stood up to pull his wallet out of his back pocket and retrieve the business card. He handed it over to Eric before sitting back down.

Eric looked over the business card before he sighed and said, "Whoever the tipster was knew what they were doing."

"How so?" I asked.

"Obviously, whoever this person is that called in the tip is trying to prevent your turning for some reason. Can you imagine the backlash on vampires in Louisiana and specifically Fangtasia if a story was printed that I turned you against your will?"

"Oh."

"Yes. Oh." Eric agreed grimly. "We'd have the American Vampire League on our backs. I really don't want to deal with that bitch, Nan Flannigan."

"Ok. So, why don't we meet with the reporter and we convince him the tip was not true. If that doesn't work, then glamour him." I suggested.

"Yes. Those would be the easiest options, but, as I said, the tipster knew what they were doing." Eric waved the business card in the air. "This reporter is known to associate with the Fellowship of the Sun."

I didn't have words. The long list of people and events that kept coming out of the woodwork to interfere with my turning was getting ridiculous. Now, I had to add the vampire hating fantics from the Fellowship to my every growing list of enemies. Fed up with everything, I just threw my hands up in the air as I fell back into the comfort of the couch. "_Of course_ he is. Why wouldn't he be?"

Eric ignored my sarcasm and motioned for Pam to take the business card. "Have him here at 10:30. Find out as much as you can about him before then, including where his tip came from, whom he may have told about the story, whom he's talked to today, and if he informs anyone he's coming here. Sookie and I must leave at 11:00."

Pam nodded and left without another word.

"Stackhouse, you did well today." Wow. Eric gave a compliment to my brother. "Now, you need to see the bartender to get the supplies for Eddie. His name is Chow. Pam will contact you soon regarding your lessons about the supernatural world. You're dismissed."

Jason stared at Eric for a few seconds before standing up while talking to me, "These vampires aren't much for manners are they?"

Eric growled at my brother, but I just stood up, laughed, and gave him a hug. "No, they really aren't. I'll probably be the only vampire with Southern Manners."

Jason laughed while he gave me a long hug back. Then, he surprised me with a kiss on my temple. "Stay safe, Sook. I'll see ya soon."

Before I could say anything or truly realize I had more than likely hugged my brother for the last time as a human, the door was closing behind him.

Eric and I had just barely begun to make our list of possible tipsters, which included the Queen, Tara, and Sam, when Eric's lawyer, Mr. Cataliades, made his appearance.

When Eric had told me on our drive to Fangtasia that his lawyer was part-demon, I didn't really know what to expect, but with all the possibilities I imagined, I didn't even come close.

The attorney was about six feet tall with a large belly. His round head was almost bald with only a fringe of black hair circling right above his ears. He had little circular eyes too that were as black as his hair and matched the suit he was wearing. His shirt was a gleaming white that matched his sharp, white teeth and he wore a thin, plain black tie. He looked like a funeral home director for the criminally insane.

However, his mannerisms completely contradicted his outward appearance. When he started speaking, his tone was surprisingly melodic and he carried himself with the ease and grace only supernaturals seemed to be able to perfect. I tried to read his mind but, when I lifted my shields to listen to him, all I got was static.

I will say that his manners were beyond reproach and I quickly found myself liking the lawyer even if his appearance was a little off-putting.

While Mr. Cataliades was very friendly, he was also professional and organized. In addition to bringing paperwork for me to sign my home over to Eric, he also had papers to turn over all my utilities, bank accounts, and car.

"Eric! What is all this? Why . . ." I didn't get any further before he interrupted me.

"We've already discussed the fact that the transition from human to vampire does not make for a smooth transition of your assets. By transferring everything over now, we skip the whole thing and I can transfer back what is needed." Eric explained coolly.

"So, you will transfer it back?" I pressed.

"Most of it." Eric shrugged.

"What's that suppose to mean?" I said indignantly.

"It means I'm not giving you that piece of junk you call a car back. You'll have a new one." Before I could say anything he glared at me and added, "There is nothing to discuss. My child is a reflection on me and that car is disgraceful. Now, sign the papers, Sookie." He ordered while he pushed the papers towards me.

I glared at Eric in silence for at least two minutes before I disgruntledly started signing the papers.

Mr. C's smile never left his face as he watched us and pointed out the places for my signature. I decided to start calling him Mr. C in my head because his full name was just a mouthful.

Once I was finished signing away all my possessions to Eric, Mr. C pulled out another stack of papers. This one was actually bigger than the first pile.

My mouth got the better of me then, "What are those? Do I need to sign away my life now?"

I had barely finished speaking when Eric's hand grabbed my chin, none too gently, to make me face him. "You've yet to know what a punishment from me will be like. Are you so eager to find out tonight?"

I was so shocked by the suddenness of his movements that I shook my head automatically in response to his question.

"Then I suggest you apologize and control your sarcasm. I do not find it amusing tonight." Eric let go of my chin roughly and turned back to face the lawyer.

"I apologize for my rudeness. It won't happen again." Even though it pained me to do it, I had to admit that I had been rude to the lawyer for no real reason. None of this was his fault.

"That's okay, Ms. Stackhouse. I'm sure you are under a lot of stress. Shall we review these forms, now?" The lawyer asked kindly and I nodded in response.

"Sookie, these forms are to take care of the transfer of your family home back to your name, register you as a vampire, and set up new bank accounts. You will sign them." Eric's voice told me that now was not the time for my questions and his patience was at its end. This was going to be a wonderful night. If I was going to be with him all night, I hoped his mood improved soon.

When I had finished signing all the papers, Eric and Mr. C talked about the issue with the reporter. Mr. C advised us to both sign statements saying that I was making the choice of my own free will and he would notarize them. If the reporter didn't back down, then he could attempt to get an injunction through the courts to prevent the newspaper from printing the story since the reporter would have proof it was false and the article would hurt Eric's business. I think Mr. C said it was called libel but I'm not really sure. I've never really understood all the legal talk and I tended to gloss over those details in the books I read. Mr. C also said it would be better if we had proof that the reporter was tied to the Fellowship so we could prove his prejudice.

Eric agreed with the lawyer's plan so he stood to walk Mr. C over to Pam's office. The attorney was going to type up the statements for us to sign on his laptop.

Before Mr. C left the office though, he pulled a sealed envelope out of his briefcase and handed it to Eric. I could see a wax seal on the back of the envelope, but I couldn't make out the details.

"Your Queen knew I was coming to Shreveport tonight and asked that I deliver this letter to you."

Eric took the letter before leaving with the lawyer to show him to Pam's office. I was left behind in Eric's office to fret over what the letter entailed. Was she going to try to interfere? Was there anything she could do to interfere? I hadn't met her, but I wouldn't let my maker be someone who was such a cold-hearted bitch as to send Bill here to seduce a virgin.

No. I needed to stop thinking like that. Pam said the Magister outranked the Queen so she couldn't interfere.

But it wasn't like vampires always followed the rules.

And what could he really do if she had already turned me? I didn't know much, okay anything, about vampire politics but I doubted the Magister would stake the Queen if she stole me and turned me. So, if that happened, she would still be my maker. Maybe she was willing to risk it to have a telepathic child.

I was pacing around the office at this point as I continued to go over scenarios for the content of the Queen's letter. If she wasn't trying to become my Maker, could she require me to move to New Orleans even after Eric turned me? She would be my queen too so wouldn't I have to obey her?

Yes. I would have to obey her just like Eric does. She could just wait for him to turn me and then order me to be given to her. Damn it!

No, she couldn't do that. Eric said that bonded children couldn't be separated from their makers. So, if she did make me move at least Eric would be with me. However, she wouldn't want to take her Sherriff away from his area would she?

UGH! I'd never even met this vampire and she was already driving me insane.

After biting my nails to the quick and cursing Eric for taking so long with Mr. C, I made two decisions.

First, I decided to stop worrying until Eric came back because it was only getting me worked up when I really didn't have enough information to come to any conclusions.

Second, if Eric in any way indicated that I was being given to the Queen, then I would definitely be taking Fintan up on his offer to fake my death and hide me from the supernatural world.

Several minutes later, Eric returned with Pam in tow. He didn't have the Queen's letter in his hand so I knew he had read it. I had been worrying myself sick about what was in that letter and I couldn't wait another minute.

"What did the . . . " I started.

Of course, I didn't get to finish my sentence since Eric interrupted me like he always does. "We'll discuss it later."

When I opened my mouth to argue, he glared at me and I just knew he was about to warn me about his punishments again. I didn't care though. I was sick of his controlling, self-important attitude tonight and I was going to let him know it. I was sick of being controlled.

However, before I could get myself in trouble again, a knock on the door prevented any further argument.

Eric and I didn't break our angry glare as Chow stated from the other side of the door that the reporter had arrived. Eric told him to seat the man at the bar and Pam would retrieve him in a moment.

Walking to his desk to sit down, Eric spoke to Pam. "What have you learned?"

"Mr. Jacob's phone records only indicated he talked to his family, his editor, and the garage where his wife's van is being worked on. He gives money to the local Fellowship group but his wife seems to be the only one that attends any meetings. The tip seems to have came in as an unknown caller to his work number right before dawn this morning. They must have left a voicemail. Reuben said the call came from an untraceable, disposable cell phone. However, he did track the origin of the call to a cell phone tower in Mississippi." Pam recited her findings.

Wow. She found out a lot in a half hour.

"How did you find all of that out so quickly?" I was astonished at how much she learned in a half hour.

"Reuben is a very talented vampire who works for Eric. He is a good investigator. Amongst other things." Pam explained with a smirk.

"You've done well, Pam." Eric said as he walked to his desk and appeared to be shutting down his computer. "Make sure he doesn't have any recording devices and then glamour him. Have him tell his editor that the tip was false. We will sign the affidavits that Mr. Cataliades has drawn up and leave them with you in case they are needed."

"Master?" Pam stepped towards Eric as she continued, "If the Editor of the paper is desperate enough, he may still want to do the story regardless of the reporter's supposed findings. Should we allow him to write the story but spin it to our advantage?"

Eric turned to look at her, "What do you propose?"

"Give him the statements proving the change is voluntary. Then, give him just enough to write the story as more of a society update. You are well known, vampire businessman in the area and you are normally on display here. It will be news that you have made a new child." Pam gave a fangy smile. "It will no doubt also improve our clientele numbers. Everyone will be interested in seeing her. We could add a throne beside yours."

"Hell no." I shouted. "I don't want to be gawked at. I've dealt with that my entire life. I don't need to encourage it now."

"Sookie," Pam snapped at me, "Did you really think that being a vampire would garner you _less_ attention?"

"No," I admitted "but I didn't intend on intentionally drawing _more _attention to myself!"

Eric had been silently considering Pam's words while she and I sparred back and forth.

"Pam's right," Eric sighed and my mouth dropped open. "The story will come out one way or another eventually and it will be better if we control it now. We don't need reporters going to Bon Temps to try to find out details. That poses too much of a risk that people in your hometown will mention how you know things or 'hear' things."

Pam seemed proud as a peacock that Eric agreed with her plan, but I just glared at her.

"Fine." I said gruffly. "But that doesn't mean I need to sit on the stage with you. I'm not that interesting."

"Dear sister," Pam said with fake sweetness, "You will be the most interesting thing in the world to the Fangbangers."

"That's ridiculous." I argued. I knew there was nothing interesting about me.

"REALLY?" She challenged. "You don't think they'll be _dying_ to see the person the Master chose among all humans to turn into his child? Certainly you know that most of them dream of Eric turning them. You don't think they want to see what makes you so special? Or maybe they will want to try to please you as a way to please him?"

My face paled as I realized she was right. I was going from one kind of freak as the mind reader in Bon Temps to a totally new kind of freak as the new vampire everyone envied at Fangtasia.

"Shit." I whispered as I sat back down on the couch.

"If it makes you feel any better," Eric added offhandedly as he packed up his laptop, "you were already going to have a seat beside me on the stage. It would be expected as my bonded that you would sit with me."

"I've already ordered it!" Pam added with a teasing grin.

"Wonderful." I responded sarcastically.

"Pam, we are leaving and you have your instructions. Do not contact me unless it is a true emergency. I trust you can handle everything." Eric motioned for me to follow him to the door.

"Yes, Master." Pam replied as we left Eric's office.

After stopping off at Pam's office to sign the statements Mr. C had typed up, we made our way back to Eric's corvette.

"Where are we going now?" I asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"I told you before that we were going to use tonight to get to know each other better." He replied while raising an eyebrow in my direction.

Well, that told me a lot.

"Exactly how are we going to go about doing that?" I said with a huff. I was exasperated that he wouldn't just tell me where we were going. I had enough surprises lately. I didn't want anymore.

He smirked at me with a mischievous glint in his eye before responding with a low, seductive voice that made my lower stomach tighten in anticipation. "Don't worry. I've got a few ideas on how we can get to know each other _very _well before the night is over."

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know your thoughts.

The next chapter or two will focus on Eric and Sookie's night as they get to know each other. I know you have all been looking forward to it.

Here's my question of the day. I'm having an internal battle as to how soon my version of Sookie will yield to Eric (because I will say that it will happen at some point). Will she do it before the night she's suppose to be turned? During the turning (if it happens)? Soon after she rises? Or sometime later down the road? I reserve the right to make the final decision but feel free to make your argument for when you think Sookie will yield.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: First, let me say that I'm SO VERY SORRY that this update has taken so long. I've had some personal struggles lately and they've made it harder to write. Hopefully, my current streak of improvement will continue because I've been a writing fool lately.

Lots of love to all my readers and reviewers, I haven't been able to respond in a while but your reviews keep me writing. Also, big thanks to my beta, Northman Maille. She's been keeping up with my writing binge lately and keeping me honest.

Since it's been so long, here's a quick summary of the last chapter:

Jason informs Pam, Sookie, and Eric that a reporter came to Merlotte's to investigate an anonymous tip that Sookie was being turned against her will. After investigating the reporter and discussing the inevitability that Sookie's turning will be news, Eric orders Pam to glamour the reporter into writing a society piece about Eric making a child. Also, Sookie and Eric complete paperwork with the demon lawyer to assist with legal issues surrounding her turning. Mr. C also delivers a letter to Eric from the Queen but only Eric knows what it said.

Now, on with the show . . . .

* * *

_Previously:_

_"Where are we going now?" I asked as he pulled out of the parking lot._

_"I told you before that we were going to use tonight to get to know each other better." He replied whilst raising an eyebrow in my direction._

_Well, that told me a lot._

_"Exactly how are we going to go about doing that?" I said with a huff. I was exasperated that he wouldn't just tell me where we were going. I had enough surprises lately. I didn't want any more._

_He smirked at me with a mischievous glint in his eye before responding with a low, seductive voice that made my lower stomach tighten in anticipation. "Don't worry. I've got a few ideas on how we can get to know each other very well before the night is over."_

_

* * *

_

After taking an exit off the interstate about halfway between Shreveport and Bon Temps, Eric turned onto a well-hidden, paved driveway. He drove through the trees that rose on either side of the lane until we reached a clearing where a small, charming cabin stood secluded in the woods.

"It's beautiful." I whispered. It was the first words either of us had said since we left the parking lot at Fangtasia.

"It's one of my safe houses." Eric replied as he parked the car in the garage. "Give me your cell phone."

I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion but I handed the phone to him without question. I was curious to see what he was up to.

Eric flipped open the phone, hit the power button to turn it off, and stuck it in the glove compartment of his car along with his own phone.

I opened my mouth to question him but he held a finger to his mouth to indicate I should remain silent.

Were we participating in espionage and someone forgot to give me the memo?

"Come." He ordered as he stepped out of the car.

I wanted to lecture him about talking to me like a dog again, but he was already stepping out of the garage and into the night air before I had even opened my car door.

As soon as I had stepped out of the garage, Eric pressed a button on the wall by the door and it started to close. The next thing I knew, I was swept up in his arms and we were flying.

"AAAHHHH!" I yelped in surprise.

"Don't worry, Lover." He whispered in my ear. "I have you."

"Damn it, Eric." I slapped his chest. "Can you warn me before you do that?"

"Language." He chastised as he smiled teasingly at me. "I thought you were a Southern Belle."

"Only when the situation calls for it." I said under my breath.

Of course, he heard. And he laughed.

"Stop being difficult and enjoy the flight."

I gave in because I was curious about flying so I took a look around.

The sky was clear and the temperature was probably about eighty degrees but it was not very humid for a Louisiana night. The stars were glowing brightly, there were very few clouds, and our flight through the sky created a nice breeze that caressed my skin.

"It's lovely tonight." I sighed and then looked at Eric. "Do you still enjoy flying after so many centuries?"

At first, he looked surprised I'd asked the question, but then he seemed to consider it.

"Most nights it's just something I do to accomplish a goal and travel. Like driving a car, I suppose. However, at times I take to the skies to clear my mind or find some peace." He paused for a moment before adding, "So, yes, I still enjoy it."

We fell into a comfortable silence as I continued to watch the trees and homes pass by below us. Eventually, I found it all to be relaxing.

About fifteen minutes into the flight, Eric started descending and finally landed us in the middle of a small clearing with woods on three sides of it and a small pond on the fourth side. From what I could tell, we had traveled about halfway back towards Shreveport.

"Where are we?" I asked as he placed my feet on the ground. It appeared as if we were in the middle of nowhere.

There were tall trees and thick underbrush all around the clearing so it didn't appear as if there were any roads or hiking paths leading to our location. Honestly, it didn't look like anyone had ever been here.

Eric didn't answer my question. Instead, he asked a question of his own. "Can you sense anyone around us, Sookie?"

My scan of the area for other brains was automatic, as was the shaking of my head in response. Before I could ask any more questions, Eric nodded and took my hand as he walked me over to the wall of trees directly opposite the pond. When we were standing in front of a large tree that looked just like all the others, Eric let go of my hand and hovered about five feet off the ground. From my vantage point, it looked like he put his hand inside a hole on the side of the tree.

My attention, however, was drawn away from him when I heard what sounded like something mechanical working somewhere to the left of where I was standing. I jumped and was about to step away from the area the sound was coming from when Eric took my hand again.

"Come on." He said as he guided me towards what now appeared to be a giant hole in the ground. When I looked at where we were headed, it looked as if a five foot by four foot area of the forest floor had suddenly opened at Eric's command. It looked dark and terrifying.

I dug my heels into the ground.

"What is that?" I know my voice had to be conveying some amount of hysteria.

Eric stopped in front of me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "It's a stairway, Sookie."

For some reason, that calmed me a little.

"What's down there?" I asked in a slightly more confident voice.

"I'll explain once we're inside." Eric replied as he started leading me to the hole again. "I don't want to stay exposed up here any longer than we have to."

That sounded ominous.

I pulled on his hand to get his attention as we reached the top of the 'stairway.'

When he looked at me impatiently, I snapped at him. "Don't look at me like that! You might have perfect night vision but I don't. I thought the plan was to turn me, not to have me break my neck fallin' down this god forsaken . . . "

I guess he was tired of my tirade or agreed with my reasoning because he swept me up Rhett Butler style and carried me down into the earth.

"It's dark." I whispered shakily as I tightened my arms around Eric's neck when the metallic sound started again and something closed over the hole we'd entered through. I could no longer see anything other than the slight glow coming off of his skin.

The darkness became disorienting but after a couple of moments I could feel that we had stopped descending and were on somewhat even ground. Then, I was placed on my feet and Eric's arms withdrew from me.

"Eric?" I questioned in a higher pitch than I intended. I didn't like standing in a pitch-black room without something or someone to hold on to.

The cloak and dagger stuff was really starting to cause me some serious anxiety.

"Just stand still." I jumped when he spoke even though I expected a response.

Before I could question him, Eric had lit a candle and was using it to light several other candles in the room.

As the light spread throughout the small space, I took stock of my surroundings.

The room was not very big and resembled a large, unfinished basement without the plumbing, ventilation, and wiring you would expect in a modern cellar. There was only one doorway and it led to the stairway we had just come down. A full sized bed was pushed into one corner, a box of true blood sat on top of a dresser, and a nightstand was beside the bed with several candles on it.

That was it.

There was nothing else in the room.

When I finished looking around, I turned to see Eric waiting on my reaction. I took a page out of his book and just raised an eyebrow at him.

"This is my safe haven."

_Huh?_

"A vampire must always be prepared for the worst." Eric explained as he motioned for me to sit on the bed and sat down beside me.

"Even though I am extremely careful about who knows of my safe houses, and I ensure none of them can be traced back to me on paper, there is always the possibility that someone could track me through superior technology. Either by my phone signal, a tracker on my car, or somehow figuring out my aliases and locating a paper trail like an electricity bill. The technological advances humans have made make it impossible to completely conceal yourself if you use their inventions."

He was silent for a moment to let me digest what he was telling me. His words explained why we flew here and why he left our cell phones behind. He was making sure we couldn't be tracked.

"So, this place is completely untraceable?" I asked. "No electricity, no phones, no water lines, no roads, no visible structure."

"Correct." He nodded approvingly – happy I had caught on. "I had it built when I first came to Shreveport decades before the revelation. No one knows about it."

Then why was he showing me? That was the question going through my mind but then I figured he meant no one but his children.

"Not even Pam." He added as if reading my mind.

"Why not?" I asked. "And why show me?"

"I trust Pam's loyalty implicitly but one can never tell the future. I have taught Pam this as well and I'm certain she has a place like this for herself of which I have no knowledge."

"Oh." For some reason, it made it make more sense when he said she would have a place Eric didn't know about as well.

"As for why I'm showing you?" Eric said in a tone that conveyed how serious his words were going to be. "You will be my bonded child and you need to start understanding what that means."

I swallowed nervously.

"Your life depends on my well-being completely. We've already discussed that."

I nodded in agreement even though I found the whole thing extremely unfair.

"While my existence is not literally dependent on yours, our bond will strengthen the longer we are tied together until it would be almost impossible for me to continue to survive if you met your final death."

I didn't like the sound of that. As unfair as it was for my life to be dependent on his existence, it was even worse if it worked the other way around. I was a trouble magnet. I was young. He was a thousand years old and I would be his weakness.

"Eric," I started, "Are you . . ?"

Before I could finish asking him if he was sure about all of this, he interrupted me like he always does.

"We're not having that discussion again." He said sternly. "My point is our continued survival will be dependent on the other. Therefore, we must learn to trust each other."

"I understand." I replied quickly.

Eric took a deep breath before sighing, "No. You don't."

My shoulders sagged because he was right. I still didn't trust him completely and I didn't really know how to do so. It felt like everyone in my life had betrayed me in some way. My parents were afraid of me and didn't protect me like they should. Jason was absentee at times. Sam lied to me for years by not telling me he was a shifter. Even my Gran, who had been my rock, had lied to me about my grandfather. I knew she had a good reason, but that didn't change the fact that she lied.

And I wasn't even going to think about Bill.

"I'm not sure I know how to trust anyone completely." I admitted.

One side of Eric's mouth curved upward wryly. "I've only ever trusted my Maker completely."

"Not Pam?" I was surprised. They seemed so close.

"I trust Pam." He said earnestly. "But I said completely. I trust her loyalty completely but not always her decisions. She's still young."

"I'm even younger." I pointed out.

"Yes." Eric nodded in agreement as if this was part of the point he was trying to get across. "That's why the first kind of trust I need from you is trust in my decisions."

We stared at each other in silence for an immeasurable amount of time before I spoke. "I know what you are asking, Eric, and I understand why I should, but it doesn't change the last two and a half decades of my life. My trust always seems misplaced. I don't know how to make myself go from considering you a threat to my freedom three nights ago to trusting everything you say from this night forward."

"I know." Eric replied evenly. "That's why I took the first step by bringing you here."

Eric stood up from the bed and kicked his shoes off and, without saying another word, he moved to sit in the middle of the bed with his back against the headboard and his legs apart.

I knew this position.

It was time for the third exchange.

"Now?" I squeaked.

Damn it. What was with me acting like a wilted flower tonight? I was a Southern Woman. We were Steel Magnolias.

"Yes. I think its fitting." He said with his hand held out for me. "This is the one place that no one else besides us will ever know about."

As I took my shoes off – very slowly – I stalled and tried to bring back some of my confidence at the same time.

"You know, I don't really know how to get here." I teased lightly. "So, technically, it doesn't count."

His wry grin was back as if he expected this. "Nice try, but once we're bonded you'll always be able to track me and follow me here."

"Oh." I said intelligently as I froze with one high heel in my hand.

"Yes. Oh." I could hear the humor in his voice. "Now, come here."

I looked up from placing my shoe back on the floor to see Eric holding his hand out for me again.

It was so freakin' symbolic.

Eric was offering himself to me, and not in a sexual way.

Not that I was dumb enough to think he wouldn't jump at the chance to have sex with me if I was so inclined, but it wasn't his intent right now. There was nothing romantic about the setting even with the candlelight.

Our two previous blood exchanges had both been very passionate and Eric could have easily taken advantage of the situation for the third blood exchange by setting up a highly erotic environment that made it hard for me to say no. Instead, he had brought me to a dank, dark hole in the ground in order to start teaching me about my new life and to begin building a foundation for trust.

His enigma continued to grow.

As I continued to stare at his outstretched hand, I found myself feeling a little more warmth towards Eric. He was trying to help me, to comfort me, to teach me, and to gain my trust.

I surprisingly found myself wanting to give it to him but still not knowing how.

I started by taking his hand and letting him guide me to sit with my back against his chest.

"What will it feel like?" I asked softly before I could stop myself.

"I don't really know." He must have felt my surprise because he continued. "As I've said, I've never been bonded and I certainly wouldn't know what it would feel like for the human."

I nodded.

"I imagine it will take some time for you to figure out whose emotions are whose." He said thoughtfully and I felt him playing with a small section of my hair with his right hand as his left arm rested around my waist. "However, it might be easier for you since you are used to sorting through thoughts."

"That's true, I guess." I replied easily and we both lapsed into a comfortable silence.

I found myself focusing on how relaxed I felt with Eric in this dungeon. With his body resting behind me, his arm around me, and his fingers playing with my hair, I felt safe and comfortable.

I don't really know when it happened but, if this cellar was Eric's safe haven, then he had somehow started to become mine. He was protecting me from the Queen and other vampires, he spared Lafayette and Jason, he'd comforted me, and he'd been trying to be truthful with me. He was even going to punish his other child for bruising my neck.

Did I really even know him?

Had I even really tried?

It hit me then that this was what he meant when he said we were going to spend some time getting to know each other. He might have been making lewd comments, but he meant what he said. He wanted to understand me and gain my trust.

I found myself wanting to show him I was willing to try trusting him but not knowing exactly how.

As I felt him start to raise his wrist silently to his mouth in order to start the final exchange, I grabbed his arm to stop him.

I knew how to show him I was ready to start opening up to him.

I just hoped I could get through it.

Before he could ask me why I stopped him and before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "I don't remember how young I was when it started."

"What?" I could hear the total confusion in his voice.

"My Uncle Bartlett." My voice cracked and his arm tightened around my waist. "I don't remember how young I was."

I let the statement linger in the air and I could almost feel him holding himself back from asking anything. He didn't want to run the risk of me changing my mind about trusting him with such a dark part of my history.

I looked down at my hands while I fiddled with my nails as I rushed through as much as I could handle to share.

"I don't think I knew it was wrong when it started but I told my Mom and Dad before they died and it had been going on for a while before then. They were killed when I was eight so I'd guess it started when I was five or six."

I heard him growl softly but I just kept rambling or I would never finish the story.

"My Mom always thought I lied about hearing thoughts in order to get attention so she punished me for telling horrible lies about my uncle." A tear fell down my cheek against my wishes. "My Daddy didn't seem to know what to say, but he died a week later. So, I don't really know if he believed me."

Eric started slowly rubbing my arms in comfort.

"The worst part honestly was hearing his thoughts about it all because I couldn't shield back then." My breath shuddered a little. "A couple months after my parents died, I told my Gran. I heard him thinking about . . . um . . ." I whispered "making me a woman."

His grip on my arms tightened painfully and I yelped. He returned back to his soft stroking of my arms.

"She ran him off with a shotgun and I never saw him again until Gran's funeral. Jason doesn't know and he invited him." I hung my head and whispered the last part. "I told Bill about him that night. I'm sure he killed him."

"If he hadn't, I would have." Eric's voice was stone cold.

Was it wrong that his statement made my heart warm?

"I know." I sighed and closed my eyes allowing myself to relax back into Eric and accept his comfort.

Somehow sharing the darkest part of my past with Eric made my heart feel lighter.

I don't know how much time passed while he comforted me before he spoke softly in my ear. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me."

"I'm trying."

"I know." He answered.

After a few more moments, I decided I needed to finish the story with my altercation with Pam.

"This was the demon from my past that caused me to insult you unintentionally with Pam."

I expected him to flinch or ask what I meant.

I did not expect what he said.

"I know."

I sat up and turned around on the bed to look at him questioningly.

"I've been around for a long time." He said sadly. "I can put two and two together. Your reaction in my office to the news about that bastard helped me put it together."

I thought about it for a second and realized it probably didn't take him much to come to the right conclusion even if he didn't know the details.

I dropped my chin some because I was ashamed that my mind had tried to group him in the same company as my pedophile uncle.

Eric wasn't having that. He placed a single finger under my chin in order to get my gaze to meet his.

"I'm not offended, Sookie." He said kindly. "I can imagine how terrifying it must be for you to know someone will have control over you after all you've been through."

My tear ducts were NOT cooperating with my decision not to cry anymore.

Eric wiped the tears away and placed his large, cool hands on each of my cheeks as he held my gaze.

"I will never force you to do anything sexual and I will protect you from that kind of abuse with everything I have. If anyone ever touches you against your will, I will torture whoever it is until they beg for death. I care not about their position or age. On this, you have my word." His eyes held mine to convey their sincerity and I felt something unknot in my stomach.

My brain had already told me that he wouldn't force himself on me, but the little girl still hidden away inside needed to hear those words from his lips and see the truth in his eyes.

Somehow, he had known that.

I had the undeniable urge to kiss him.

So I did.

It wasn't wanton or sexual. It was soft, comfortable, and safe. It was a thank you and a peace offering.

When I softly kissed his lips once more and pulled away, I felt inexplicably shy.

"Don't worry about it, Lover." He teased. "I am irresistible after all."

I laughed.

Loudly.

I just couldn't help it and he seemed to enjoy it too. We had been involved in serious, life altering discussions for what seemed like forever and we both needed the break in tension.

Finally, we calmed down and he brought us back on task.

"Unfortunately, we need to wrap things up here so we can continue our night."

"You mean we are not spending it in the Pit?" I teased.

"The Pit? I like it." He laughed. "But no, you need to eat and I still have a surprise waiting for you."

"Is it better than this?" I gestured to the surrounding room. "Because I don't know how you can top it."

His smile was wide and genuine. I found myself thinking how handsome he was when he looked happy. "I will make it my mission tonight to insure I impress you even further than I did by showing you my haven."

"Good luck."

We both laughed and then his face got serious again.

I knew it was time for the exchange and he placed his hands on my hips to help me turn back around and resume my spot leaning on his chest.

I stopped him from moving me and instead crawled up to straddle his lap.

The look on his face was priceless and I couldn't help but grin.

"It's more comfortable this way." I said evenly. "Besides, I need to get used to the neck, right?"

"Yes." Eric replied in a tone even enough to match mine. "It hurts humans more if you bite their wrists."

I didn't want to let myself get too drawn into thinking about feeding again so I moved past it.

"Do you have a knife or something or do I have to bite?" I wrinkled my nose a little with the word bite and he thought that was funny.

"No, lover. You can wait until you have your fangs to bite." He winked at me and pulled a small pocketknife out of the drawer in the nightstand beside the bed.

"When I make the cut, drink until it closes." He explained and I nodded.

Without any ceremony, Eric cut into the right side of his neck and I latched on quickly. The moment his blood touched my tongue I moaned and I felt his already erect manhood stir beneath his jeans.

Within seconds of my first draw of his blood, he had kissed, licked, and bit my neck.

I found myself thinking for a moment that I shouldn't enjoy this as much as I was since I was still human but then I batted the thought away. What did it matter? I only had one more day as a human and I wasn't even completely human anyway.

I was brought back into the moment when I felt Eric's right hand snake into my hair to hold me tighter against his neck and his left hand tighten on my hip. With his blood in my mouth and his fangs in my neck, I couldn't resist the movement of my hips against his groin as my body danced against his in rhythm with the swallows I was taking of his blood.

His body responded easily to mine and I quickly found my hands entwined in his hair holding his mouth to my neck. Our hips and mouths had found a perfect synchronization of movement and I was climbing towards the most beautiful orgasm I'd ever known when the wound in his neck unexpectedly closed up.

Well, I couldn't have that.

So, I bit him.

Eric's mouth left my neck for a moment as he roared his release and I knew I had surprised him. Then I quickly found myself underneath his body as he returned to heal my neck while he skillfully moved his still clothed erection against my center. I was admittedly trying to hold off my peak because the sensations I was feeling were otherworldly.

As if Eric knew what I was doing, he pulled my face away from his neck and laid the mother of all kisses on me while he pushed eagerly against my center. I pulled my mouth away from him desperately to gasp in some air in order to scream out my release.

As soon as I stopped yelling, Eric captured my lips again. At first, our kissing was still urgent and pressing, but eventually we reached a soft and sweet rhythm until he slowly pulled away and laid his head on my chest.

We continued to lay in silence as my heartbeat and breathing started to return to normal and I took stock of how I felt.

I felt happy, content, and safe.

After searching and thinking for a moment, I realized that 'safe' was the only emotion that was coming completely from me.

Eric was happy and content as well.

I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know if you loved it or hated it. I wanted it to be worth the wait.

Thanks again for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: You are all awesome. You're reviews keep me inspired and writing. Sorry this took a couple of weeks. My muse has been flittering from story to story. I've been keeping my awesome beta, Northman Maille, very busy.

Well, on with the show. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

_Previously: _

_I felt happy, content, and safe._

_After searching and thinking for a moment, I realized that 'safe' was the only emotion that was coming completely from me. _

_Eric was happy and content as well._

_I couldn't help but smile._

* * *

After staying in the same position for a short while (also known as cuddling), Eric started to sit up. There was an awkward moment before we moved apart completely, but then Eric stood up and said we needed to get going.

Thank Goodness there wasn't time for another heart to heart, because I needed some time to digest the last thirty minutes.

As I followed Eric out of the bat cave and back to the clearing, we were both quiet and I wondered if he was trying to gather his thoughts too.

Personally, my thoughts were racing around my head in total chaos.

Eric and I had share closely guarded secrets with each other.

We had blood bonded.

We had gotten a little frisky.

We were both feeling happy.

_But now_ . . .

Now, I was freakin' out a little.

I guess it's like what I've heard folks say about having a baby. Being pregnant and knowing there's a baby in there is one thing; but, you don't really 'get it' until you hold the baby for the first time.

Even though I had committed to being turned, I suddenly understood that I was expecting something to stop it.

I had been saying all the right things and making all the appropriate arrangements, but some small subconscious part of me thought it wouldn't really happen.

But now.

Now, it was really hitting me.

I was part of his blood.

He was part of my blood.

And I was really going to be a vampire.

Holy Shit!

"Sookie?" I heard Eric call my name once I had stopped walking and zoned out.

I felt his hands go to my shoulders and I looked up at him. His eyes were concerned but his face was stoic.

Or maybe his eyes were stoic too and I just _felt_ his concern.

This was all _so _weird.

"Sookie? Talk to me?"

I swallowed loudly before talking, "I . . . ", I looked away before telling him what was bothering me. "I think it just really hit me that tomorrow is my last day"

"As a human." Eric finished for me evenly.

"Yes." I whispered with my head down.

I heard Eric take a deep breath he didn't need, before he used a finger to pull my chin back up to make me meet his eyes.

"I want you to say it Sookie."

"Say what?" I acted obtuse.

"Tell me what will happen tomorrow night." He ordered.

"Eric. Why. . ? "

He cut me off to growl at me "Tell me Sookie."

"You will turn me." I angrily spit the words at him.

I guess our tender moments were over now.

"Not good enough. Try again." He commanded.

"I'll no longer be human."

"AGAIN!" He barked.

"I'LL BE _DEAD_, ASSHOLE!"

A tear fell from my eye and the lump suddenly building in my throat surprised me.

"Fucking try _again_"

I whimpered finding it hard to form the words he demanded I speak aloud.

"Say it, Sookie." Eric's tone was back to being soft and comforting as he pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "You need to say it. You need to accept it."

Finally, I looked into Eric's eyes and whispered. "I'll be a vampire."

"Yes."

We stared at each other in silence for an immeasurable amount of time.

Until finally, I broke our gaze.

And I caved.

"I'm scared."

I said it so softly that I could barely hear it myself but I knew he'd hear it.

To say I was shocked when his arms wrapped around me, and pulled me into his chest, would be the understatement of the century.

But I was so thankful for it.

Even though his embrace broke the dam holding back my fears, tears, and other pent up emotions, I pushed away all of my pride, and accepted his comfort.

I sobbed into Eric's chest while he stroked my hair and back. When I finally started to calm down, after several minutes of embarrassing myself, I felt a foreign sense of strength, reassurance, and calm.

I swallowed heavily before asking with a scratchy voice, "Is that you making me feel better?"

There was no accusation in my words. I was sure I'd be pissed off some time in the future when he tried to make me feel things, but right now I was grateful for a little help.

"Yes." He answered simply.

"Thank you."

I could hear the smugness in his voice from my current home against his chest when he said, "You're very welcome."

"Don't be a bastard." I said simply as I stepped back and wiped off my face with my hands. "I'm sure there will be plenty of times you piss me off by doing that."

"Of that, I have no doubt."

Again with the smug bastard routine.

Before I could say anything else though, Eric was being serious again.

"There is no shame in admitting to feeling fear, Sookie. Shame is only for those who deny they feel fear or let their fear rule them." His tone was stern but not unkind.

I noticed that he didn't tell me there was nothing to be afraid of.

Strangely, that fact made me trust him more.

Eric held his arms out to me, so that he could hold me for the flight back to the cabin. I stepped back into his embrace and circled my arms around his neck.

Just before we left the ground, Eric looked down at me with a thoughtful expression.

"I know there will be things you miss about being a human that I will not be able to give to you, but I will teach you everything I know, protect you, and give you everything that is in my power to give."

Before I could think of a response, I was lost in the scenery of our flight back to the cabin.

Eric and I were both relatively silent during our return flight and throughout the few minutes we both took to clean ourselves up inside his cabin. He said we only had ten minutes, so I found the restroom and used a dampened washcloth to freshen up.

When I met Eric back at his car, he had changed into another pair of black jeans and a dark blue button down dress shirt.

God, he was sexy.

And the smirk on his face told me that he knew what I was feeling.

Damn bond.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yes."

Before I reached the passenger door, Eric was scooping me up into his arms again.

"What are you doing now?" I shrieked from the surprise.

"We are still trying to avoid being tracked." He explained while he took to the sky. "I have one untraceable cell with me, that only Pam knows about. Otherwise, we will stay under the radar until you rise vampire."

"You're worried that someone is going to try and interfere again?"

Why wouldn't he be really? We've already had my friends to deal with, a reporter snooping around, and my fairy grandfather stopping by for a visit.

And let's not forget the Vampire Queen.

"Hey," I exclaimed as I suddenly remembered something from earlier in the night. "You still haven't told me what was in the envelope from the Queen."

"I know." Eric answered drily.

_Jackass!_

"Well?" I said expectantly.

"Later." He said dismissively and I would have pushed further but I noticed we were starting to descend.

We landed next to a private plane.

The shock on my face when I looked at Eric must have been a sight to see because he laughed loudly.

"I'm glad you like my surprise."

I swallowed compulsively from my nerves. I'd never been on a plane before.

"We're flying?" I said shakily.

He nodded.

And he was amused.

I could feel that much.

"Why? Where?" I asked, whist ignoring his reaction to my nervousness.

Eric took my hand to lead me up the stairway that led into the plane.

"The where is a secret but the why is simple." He explained as we finished climbing the steps. "I wanted you to enjoy your last day in the sun."

I didn't know whether to cry, smile, or laugh.

No matter where we were headed, this one gesture told me so much about Eric. However, before I could say anything or continue my line of thought, the most delicious smell filled my nose as we stepped into the plane's main cabin.

"What is that smell?" I asked. "It smells wonderful."

My stomach growl as if on cue.

"That is your dinner." Eric hadn't let go of my hand so he led me the rest of the way inside the plane.

In the middle of the cabin, there was a table set for two. Although one setting was only a wine glass, the other side had a covered plate waiting for me, as Eric pulled out the seat.

"You did all this?" I asked softly as I placed a napkin in my lap.

"It wasn't complicated." He shrugged. "We were supposed to go to the restaurant but the mess with the reporter took too much time. I had them deliver it here so you could eat while the plane prepared for take off."

Eric removed the cover over the dish with a flourish and my mouth watered.

There was fried chicken that was probably as close to the standard of my Gran's as a restaurant could get. In addition, there were biscuits, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans with bacon, and kernel corn.

He could have ordered lobster, steak, or any other expensive food that most people would probably ask for, when they knew their days with human food would soon be over. Instead, he knew enough about me to know I'd prefer good Southern cooking.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and reached for the glass of sweet tea sitting by my plate.

After taking a drink to attempt to cover my emotional moment, I recovered my manners.

"Thank you, Eric."

Eric walked over to a faux silver wine bucket on a stand next to his chair, and I noticed that the "wine bucket" didn't contain ice.

Intrigued. I looked more closely at the stand and saw that there was a heat source underneath the container. Noticing my preoccupation, Eric took the time to explain what I was seeing.

"There are different types of bottled bloods that have been created since True Blood was patented. This is a newer type; others have said it is better than that dirt they call sustenance." Eric explained as he opened the bottle and poured it into his glass before he finally sat down to join me.

"The blood warmer is _supposed_ to be more formal than the microwave." He chuckled slightly. "However, I never really understood the formality of wine in a bucket."

I had to laugh. Eric certainly had a unique way of seeing things.

But it was somehow similar to how I viewed things as well.

Which was nice.

"I couldn't agree more." I smiled to myself as I picked up my utensils and started eating.

"We have about twenty minutes before takeoff. So, you have some time to eat." Eric told me. "Once we are in the air, I was told there is a dessert in the galley."

After swallowing my bite, I thanked him again. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble, but thank you."

He nodded in acceptance of my gratitude before steering the conversation in another direction.

"So, what did you learn this afternoon?"

I hesitated for a minute while deciding where to start, and what to tell him.

"Sookie, don't hide things from me."

His tone was still conversational but his eyes were intense.

He'd felt my hesitation in the bond.

Damn bond!

Like I could keep secrets even if I wanted to.

"Fine." I said a little put out by my lack of privacy.

So, while I ate, I told Eric about my visit with Alcide. He thought it was a good thing that I could hear at least some of their thoughts and he was impressed with all the 'tests' I did to find the limits of my ability with Weres.

When I had finished my summary of the wolf's visit, Eric just stared at me.

He knew I was holding something back.

I huffed in annoyance as I told him what I was trying to avoid talking about, "Alcide wasn't very courteous after he found out I was being turned so I yelled at him and left him on the deck."

I could see Eric working himself up to be Mr. Alpha so I held a hand up to ask him to wait.

"I'm sure it's nothing more than he would say to any vampire, Eric. It's obvious that Weres and Vampires don't get along." I tried to calm him. "I was just raw from my visit with Tara and Sam. It was truly nothing."

Eric watched me for a minute as if he was trying to feel for the truth of my words. Finally, he nodded as if he accepted my account of the my meeting with Alcide.

I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

One disaster avoided.

"And your visit with the fairy?" Eric asked after he finished his glass of blood.

And there's disaster number two waiting in the wings.

Was there any way for me to keep from telling Eric about my option of an 'out' from this whole vampire thing? That my grandfather had offered to hide me away?

"I've already warned you once, Sookie." Eric's voice was stern. "Do not attempt to take sides against me."

"Eric!" I gasped. "I'm not taking sides against you. I wouldn't do that. I'm just not sure how to explain it all or work out what was meant to be family talk."

"Fintan would understand enough about the Maker/Child relationship, or even just a bonded relationship, to know that you would be required to share everything with me." Eric explained confidently.

I stared at him for what seemed like an immeasurable amount of time.

If that were true, then was Fintan trying to get himself killed or get me punished? Why else would he offer to help me get away from Eric and the vampires and then leave me behind where I would have to tell him about the conversation?

I didn't want Eric to kill my grandfather for offering to help me.

"Sookie…" Eric's voice told me he was getting impatient.

I swallowed the last bit of my food – loudly – and put my napkin on the table before speaking.

"Will you promise me that you won't hold anything against my grandfather if he offered me something to help me?" I asked, and immediately cringed at Eric's reaction.

"Eric, he is my family and only wishes to help me."

I saw Eric tense up the second he heard my question and I could see his anger building.

"Did he try to take you away?" He ordered.

"No."

"Did he offer to end me?"

"WHAT? NO!" I exclaimed.

"Then what?"

I mistakenly hesitated again and Eric was towering over me before I could blink an eye.

"Do not attempt to lie to me." He growled.

"I'm not. I'm really not." I squeaked out quickly. "You're just scaring me when I've done nothing but try to tell you the truth."

"You haven't said anything yet." Eric spoke from clenched teeth.

"FINE!" I yelled as I stood up to face him. "Fintan offered to fake my death, hide me anywhere I wanted to go, and protect me from all supernatural beings so that I didn't have to become a vampire. He even said he'd protect me from all the psycho fairies that would want to either torture me or kill me, for leverage over the Prince. Oh, and even if they didn't want me for leverage, then they would still want to torture and kill me because I'm a mutt!"

I put my finger in the middle of Eric's chest to drive my point home.

"And for some god forsaken reason, I turned him down and I'm still here so that you can yell at me and intimidate me. So, I hope you are happy that I continue to prove you right by having no self preservation instincts you dumb jackass!"

And then there was silence.

* * *

Please review.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: I don't have much to say other than thanks for the reviews and my beta, Northman Maille, is AWESOME!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

* * *

_Previously: _

"_You haven't said anything yet." Eric spoke from clenched teeth._

"_FINE!" I yelled as I stood up to face him. "Fintan offered to fake my death, hide me anywhere I wanted to go, and protect me from all supernatural beings so that I didn't have to become a vampire. He even said he'd protect me from all the psycho fairies that would want to either torture me or kill me, for leverage over the Prince. Oh, and even if they didn't want me for leverage, then they would still want to torture and kill me because I'm a mutt!"_

_I put my finger in the middle of Eric's chest to drive my point home. _

"_And for some god forsaken reason, I turned him down and I'm still here so that you can yell at me and intimidate me. So, I hope you are happy that I continue to prove you right by having no self preservation instincts you dumb jackass!"_

_And then there was silence._

* * *

I don't know how long we stood there exchanging angry looks, but I was starting to wonder if Eric was considering just killing me and forgetting this whole thing.

His anger was _that_ potent in my veins.

When the pilot's voice came over the cabin speakers, the interruption came as a relief.

"_Mr. Northman, we will begin taxiing for takeoff in five minutes. Please secure your belongings and take your seats."_

As soon as the announcement finished, a stewardess entered the cabin and I found myself embarrassed that someone may have witnessed our disagreement.

The mannerly Southern woman, taught by Gran, decided to take over for a few minutes; so I stepped back a couple of paces from Eric and took a couple of deep breaths to calm myself.

I ignored Eric's angry glare, and turned to the woman who was cleaning up from my dinner.

"Thank you for cleaning up. The dinner was wonderful." I said graciously.

"Your welcome Ma'am." She replied as she started pushing her tray back towards the cabin doors. She seemed to be in a hurry to leave the room and I couldn't blame her.

However, before she was completely out of the cabin, she turned to address Eric.

"Per your request, Mr. Northman, the pilots will be the only other people present on the plane during your flight. I will be leaving now since your dinner items have been cleared."

Eric only nodded in response and I found myself angry with him again, but this time for his horrible manners.

"Thank you." I called to her as she exited the plane. Then the pilot secured the exterior door before quickly going back into the cockpit, and closing the door behind him.

I turned to look back at Eric and wondered if everyone else could feel the anger flowing off him or if I was just feeling him through the bond.

I guessed it didn't matter. He was still pissed off regardless.

And for some reason I wasn't the least bit bothered by it anymore.

He could be angry.

I was angry too, so at least I had company.

I decided to ignore the fact that he was giving me the silent treatment and hadn't moved a muscle since I yelled at him. As I felt the plane begin to move away from the hanger, I walked over to one of the couches in the luxurious cabin and took a seat.

I felt his anger peak even higher through our bond.

It was childish. I knew it was, but I decided to push him further.

I reached for a travel magazine to read.

I suppose that was his limit because I hadn't finished opening my choice of reading material when it was ripped from my hands.

Yet Eric still didn't say anything.

Instead, he walked over to the couch that sat directly across from me and leaned back in a relaxed posture.

But I could still feel his anger, and it wasn't lessening.

Finally, he decided he was ready to talk.

"I'll address your yelling and blatant disrespect later since I think it would impede our conversation if I addressed it now."

"Hmph." I exclaimed as I crossed my arms.

He ignored my reaction but leaned forward to put his elbows on his knees and clasp his hands between them, before he started speaking again.

His eyes locked with mine and I felt like his eyes were piercing the deepest recesses of my soul.

"Would you like to yell at me again or would you like to talk about who you are truly angry with?"

I laughed.

"I think it's fairly obvious who I'm angry with. Don't you?"

"Yes. I do." He responded drily.

I tilted my head at him. I was curious regarding his meaning and, despite my anger, I wanted to know what he was thinking.

"And you don't think it's _you_ I'm angry with do you, Oh Great One?"

"No." His jaw clenched even tighter with my mocking. "I know you are annoyed with me because you do not understand my actions or reactions at times, but you are not truly angry with _me._"

"I'm so happy to know that." I responded sarcastically. "Would you like to enlighten me then and tell me who I _am_ mad at?"

Eric's eyes narrowed and I literally felt him fighting against his own anger as he continued to ignore my disrespect.

"You are angry at Herveaux because he gave you a taste of the hate you will be exposed to as a vampire. You are angry with your Grandmother for not telling you of your true heritage. You are angry with your Fae family because you are a target due to their politics. You are angry with the Shifter and your so-called friend because they have turned on you even though you always stood by them. You are angry with Bill for deceiving you."

The lump in my throat started building when Eric mentioned my Grandmother, and it had continued to grow until the tears finally fell when he mentioned Bill.

But I tried to ignore it all because - even if what he said was true - it didn't mean I wasn't angry with him.

"That doesn't mean . . ." I said before I saw that he had started walking towards me. When he sat beside me, the rest of my words died in my throat as he continued speaking in a softer tone.

"Most of all you are angry with yourself. You are angry with yourself for trusting Bill. You are angry that you misjudged the Shifter and that useless drunk human. You are angry that you felt guilt over the death of a man that abused you as a child. You are angry that you are upset with your beloved Gran for not telling you the truth. You are angry that you are different than everyone else. You are angry that you are not strong enough to survive on your own, because someone stronger than you will always try to take advantage of you and your talents. However, more than all of these reasons, you are angry that you can never have a normal life. Even if you chose to run, you would always be looking over your shoulder and hiding. You are angry that your life is not your own."

I was holding my head in my hands and sobbing by the time Eric finished speaking some of my deepest thoughts. He had started softly running his fingers through my hair mid-way through his speech, and it was now helping me to calm down.

When I could speak, I quietly asked, "How did you do it?"

"What?"

I turned my head to look at him sadly. "I'm guessing you didn't know you were being turned."

He shook his head.

"How did you accept it? How long did it take?"

"Sookie, it was a different time and I was a very different person from who you are now."

"How long?" I pressed.

He sighed. "Not long." He shook his head. "I wasn't married and my entire family had been killed so I was alone. I was the ruler of my clan but I had never wanted to rule."

"Did. . ." I trailed off thinking the question was too personal for us at this point.

"Ask me." He pushed me to continue.

"Did you want children? Did you miss the sun? Or food?" I hiccupped as I asked the question.

"I didn't want any responsibilities so I didn't want children." He paused as if to consider the rest of my questions.

"The smell of human food was repellant for a while so I didn't miss it. However, I did miss the sun. My people were often in the sun to work or fight so I found that adjustment to be more difficult than food or family."

"And now?" I asked.

Eric gave me a half smile. "Now I rarely think about it and I love to look at the moon and stars on a clear night."

I nodded softly and sat back into the seat feeling exhausted from my emotions.

After a few moments, I decided to get back to the original subject.

"I'm still mad at you."

Eric actually laughed a large, stress-free laugh.

"And why is that?" He finally asked through his amusement.

"I'm tired of you being right." I mumbled.

That earned me another round of laughter.

"Wouldn't you call that annoyance and not anger though, my dear Ms. Stackhouse?"

I turned my head away from him and grumbled, "Asshole." under my breath.

We sat in silence for a few more minutes before I decided to start working through the list of questions I wanted to ask Eric. I started writing them down on the first day after this whole mess started, but I've added to it over the last couple days.

I needed answers.

With my head still resting on the back of the seat and my eyes closed, I asked Eric one of the questions from the list.

"What about your Maker?"

Unexpectedly, I feel a sudden rush of overwhelming pride, adoration, respect, and gratitude. Before I could even fully comprehend that the feelings were coming from Eric, they were all gone and replaced with hesitation.

"What do you want to know?" He asked stiffly.

I opened my eyes and turned my head to look at him and sighed.

"Normal stuff, Eric. He, I'm assuming it's a he, would be the vampire equivalent of your family. What's his name? Is he still undead? Was he good to you?" I huffed in annoyance. "I thought we were suppose to be getting to know each other tonight. How does that work if you shut down when I ask you questions?"

Eric's eyes became fierce as he moved so close our faces were only inches apart.

"Vampires do not freely give information about their Makers because a vampire's Maker is the only one who has complete control over them. If you were not my bonded, asking such a question would be considered insolence and have dire consequences. You will never ask another vampire about their Maker, do you understand?"

As my Gran would say, I was catching flies. "You mean vampires _never_ talk about the one who made them. It's always kept a secret?"

"Older vampires like myself, may know a younger vampire's Maker because we were around when they were made. So, we saw the younger vampire at the Maker's side. Thus, vampires older than Pam may know I am her Maker."

Eric was thought for a moment before he added more. "Also, vampires are required to report the name of their Maker to their Sheriff and Monarch so that he or she can be contacted if the child is punished or needs to be controlled. However, other than mandatory reporting, the oldest vampires do not reveal their Makers."

I took a few minutes to consider everything that Eric had revealed. Everything he said about keeping the identity of your Maker hidden made sense, but it seemed to be another way of isolating oneself. If you couldn't talk about your Maker, then did a vampire never talk about their past?

"I'm starting to get the picture that a vampire's survival and existence is always about keeping isolated, watching your back, and hiding everything about yourself." I said glumly.

What kind of existence is that?

"Yes. There is always the need for secrets and personal vigilance, but there are also many positive and wondrous sides that I will share with you over the years."

I sighed quietly and returned my head to its former position – resting on the back of the couch.

After several moments, Eric broke the silence.

"His name is Godric."

I held my breath and didn't push him for more information. I understood that Eric was sharing something with me that he didn't normally share. I would let him do this at his own pace.

"He gave me leave to travel on my own after a couple of centuries but I stayed at his side for over four hundred years. We've traveled together a few times since I left his side, but never for more than a couple of decades."

I finally turned my head to look at Eric but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes seemed to be glazed over as he thought about the past.

"He protected me and was patient with me. He taught me how to fight and protect what is mine. He is my father, my brother, and my son. He is twice the vampire I could ever hope to be."

I could sense that as much as Eric obviously revered his Maker, he was uncomfortable talking about him because it involved talking about someone whom he obviously cared for.

And Eric didn't do feelings.

At least he didn't _think_ he did.

I decided to give him a break and try to move the conversation along.

"I hope I get to meet him one day."

Eric's eyes refocused on me and he smirked. "When Godric heard about Pam, he surprised me with a visit. In almost eight hundred years, I had never made a child. He was eager to meet my first."

Suddenly, I was nervous. I did want to meet Godric, but now I was anxious as to how soon that may be. What if he didn't approve of me?

"I'm sure he will be even more interested to meet my bonded child."

Was he trying to make my anxiety worse?

I swallowed audibly before asking, "How soon do you think he will come?"

He shrugged and smiled knowingly, "Maybe a decade or two."

I threw a pillow from the couch at him. "You did that on purpose! You knew I was nervous he was going to show up and you made it _worse_. You big jerk!"

Of course, Eric found my outburst to be hilarious and he enjoyed his laugh before talking to me again.

"We may go visit him before long. He is the Sheriff in Dallas."

I just nodded in agreement. I was too annoyed at Eric for small talk.

"Back to the original subject." Eric returned to his authoritative voice. "Did you learn anything about the powers of a fairy-witch-human hybrid turned vampire today? Or did Fintan only use his time alone with you to convince you to run away?" Eric asked stiffly.

Annoyed at Eric's demeanor, I returned his stiff tone. "He said he didn't really know if I would retain the light from my hands or any other powers I might have. Fintan was only certain that I could be turned. He said he'd heard very few tales of Fae-human hybrids that had been turned. Of those, he only knew that one was a daywalker and another was said to have telekinesis. However, others were turned and had no special powers. It's a crap shoot."

I glared at him when I added, "Also, he didn't try to convince me, Eric. He only offered." I thought for a second before adding. "Actually, I accused him of lying to you when he offered to hide me away."

"He didn't lie." Eric said wryly. "Fintan only gave his word that he wouldn't force you to break your agreement. He said nothing about helping you leave of your own free will"

I looked at Eric skeptically. "Yes. That's what he said too."

We entered what felt like stare down number one million and two before everything clicked together in my mind and I shot up from my seat.

"YOU KNEW HE WAS GOING TO OFFER TO TAKE ME AWAY!"

* * *

A/N: On April 25th, I will be in the Fangreaders Chatroom discussing "Selfless to the End." I hope you all join me. Check out Fangreaders (dot) blogspot (dot) com.

If you would like to join, just email them: fangreaders (at) gmail (dot)com.

I'm hoping you enjoyed this chapter. Please review. I'm excited about hopefully hitting the 1000 review club.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. As a reward, this is a little bit longer of a chapter than I've written lately. Sorry it took so long, but I wanted to get it right. I hope it was worth the wait.

HUGE Thanks to my beta, Northman Maille. She helped me keep my sanity and kept me from deleting it all in order to start over.

Also, I've started a WordPress site. I'm going to post sneak peaks from time to time and the story will be posted there first. If you want to subscribe, the website is: http:/myuniverse424(dot)wordpress(dot)com. Just replace the (dot) with periods.

One final note: I'm going to be the Spotlight Author in the Fangreaders Chatroom on April 25th. We will be discussing this story at 4PM EST. If you want to stop by, please check out their homepage ahead of time and get information about joining the chat. http:/fangreaders(dot)blogspot(dot)com

Disclaimer: I own nothing but I love playing with others toys.

* * *

_Previously:_

"_He didn't lie." Eric said wryly. "Fintan only gave his word that he wouldn't force you to break your agreement. He said nothing about helping you leave of your own free will"_

_I looked at Eric skeptically. "Yes. That's what he said too."_

_We entered what felt like stare down number one million and two before everything clicked together in my mind and I shot up from my seat._

"_YOU KNEW HE WAS GOING TO OFFER TO TAKE ME AWAY!"_

* * *

Before I could register being moved, I was back on the couch and Eric was towering over me.

"Little girl, you need to get control of your temper."

He hissed dangerously at me when I opened my mouth to speak again.

"I haven't punished you yet because I am a fair Maker and I haven't told you what your punishments would be if you disrespect me. However, know now that if you were to pull this crap in public, I would punish you in public without any warnings. So I highly suggest you learn your place."

"_My place!" _I screeched.

Again, I was moving before I knew what was happening.

Except this time, I wasn't on the couch.

I was lying on my stomach, across Eric's lap.

I gasped as my cheeks reddened with anger and embarrassment at my vulnerable position. I started struggling to get away but Eric growled at me, "Stop now or I _will_ spank you."

Well, that brought me up short.

His voice was cold as ice.

He wasn't bluffing.

My body went rigid across his lap and I didn't fight his hold anymore. Mercifully, he wasn't holding me in a lewd or painful way, he was just . . .

Shit.

He was showing me my place.

Teaching me obedience and the consequences of losing control.

He had warned me before to control my outbursts.

I was still pissed off and humiliated though.

But I wasn't stupid enough to shout at him about it this time.

No sooner had I understood the message, and accepted it, than I found myself sitting sideways across his lap.

"I can feel you accepting the lesson, Sookie." He said while I immaturely looked away from him, and he began to stroke my hair comfortingly. "I know you are a prideful woman and I don't want to take that away from you, but you cannot act like a child and stomp your feet or shout your feelings when you don't like what you hear. It could cost us our lives."

Instinctively my head whipped around to chastise him for comparing me to a child, but the expression on his face stopped me.

His expression wasn't condescending or arrogant. Instead, his eyes conveyed a patience so deep and compelling that I felt like I had to try to repay him for it.

I sighed _again,_ and closed my eyes.

And took a deep breath.

I let go of the ire I had surrounding the child comment and decided to change the subject.

I was always good at changing the subject.

With my eyes still closed, I asked my next question with as much control as possible.

"If you knew my grandfather was going to offer to take me away, then why did you let him meet with me without you there? Did you _want_ me to go with him?"

"No."

My eyes were still closed but when he didn't continue speaking I opened them to look at him questioningly.

Eric must have been waiting for me to make eye contact, because he continued as soon as his eyes had captured mine.

"Do you remember what I said at Bill's trial when the Magister offered me the right to be your Maker?" He asked me.

I thought about it for a moment and it suddenly clicked.

"It was a test." I said while shaking my head and trying to control my reaction. "You wanted me to have an out so that you could be sure I was choosing freely to be your child. You told the Magister you didn't want a child that didn't want you as a Maker."

"That was part of it."

"And the other part?" I asked.

"For you to realize that I had an out as well even though I chose not to use it."

I'm sure my eyes conveyed my confusion as I asked, "What do you mean?"

"I could ask Fintan to take you or I could tell the Magister your Fae kin have threatened war if you were turned." He shrugged. "There are several possible ways out of this if I wanted to use them."

I shook my head again. I had been operating under the assumption that Eric no longer had any choice. I thought he didn't have any recourse if he happened to change his mind after that night in the junkyard. Amazingly, however, Eric _did_ have a choice and he still chose to keep me.

I truly didn't understand why a thousand year old Viking would want me around forever.

"Stop doubting yourself." Eric scolded me.

I wasn't about to get into _that_ discussion tonight, so I decided to change the subject.

Again.

"If you knew he was going to offer to take me away, then why did you get so angry earlier?"

"If you think about it, you will realize I was angry because you were attempting to hide it. It didn't help that you made it worse by being disrespectful."

"Oh." I intelligently replied.

"Yes, oh." He replied with his normal smirk.

We set in silence for a couple of minutes before I realized that I was still sitting on his lap. Needing an excuse to get up, I asked him where the restroom was. Of course he took the opportunity to ask me if I wanted him to join me for an initiation into the Mile High Club.

I'm sure my "when hell freezes over" glare answered that question for me, but I could tell by the grin on his face that he felt my body's traitorous reaction.

At least the argument was over.

For now.

When I rejoined Eric on the couch, I felt more grounded and calm. He asked me to tell him more about Fintan's visit and I told him all about my family tree, and the threat that loomed over me whilst I was still part human. By the time I had finished telling him everything my grandfather had shared with me, he had a very thoughtful look on his face.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I'm beginning to see that my plan backfired."

"Huh?"

Eric tucked my hair behind my ear again before explaining, "Vampires do not get involved in Fae politics so I didn't think about the threat you would be under if you stayed human."

He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes, "It seems everyone is forcing you to make a decision."

I opened my mouth to protest but I found I couldn't find the words.

"Sookie, as much as you may not want to hear this, I think you need to accept that a normal life was never an option for you." Eric said seriously.

"I know that Eric." I responded glumly. "I'm the one who's been telling everyone that for the last few days."

"Yes." Eric paused for a second. "You've been saying all the right things, but I don't think you've ever really let go and accepted it. I think a part of you is still dreaming of a home with a white picket fence and children."

"I know that was never in my future, Eric."

"Yes, but to _know_ something and to _accept_ it are two very different things."

I was surprised when Eric reached over to take my hand. "But, I've given you enough to think about for now. I think we are about to reach our destination."

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, I felt the plane descending and the pilot's voice came over the speakers, and told us we would be landing in ten minutes.

"Do I get to know where we are now?" I asked.

"Somehow, I don't think you will care too much about our exact location." He answered teasingly.

"That sounds ominous." I answered carefully.

"Not at all" He laughed. "I only meant that the where isn't as important as the fact that we are going to be staying on the beach, on a private island."

I gasped and jumped to straddle his lap.

"REALLY?"

I knew I was acting like a child now but I had never been to the beach. I'd never even left Louisiana. And a private island?

"Yes, really." He laughed again before placing his arms around my hips and becoming slightly more serious.

"I thought you might like to spend today tanning and watching the sun rise and set over the ocean."

The lump in my throat was back in an instant as I looked into Eric's eyes.

The truth hit me then.

Eric Northman really did care about my happiness.

Even though we hadn't talked about it, he somehow knew I loved the sun and he took me somewhere to enjoy my last day on a beach. Only someone who cared about my feelings would go to so much trouble for me. Right?

I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't find the words. So instead, I softly placed my hands on either side of his neck and leaned in to kiss him.

I think he was slightly surprised with my forwardness even though he probably felt my gratitude – and yes, affection – in the bond.

The kiss started sweet and slow, with me leading, but it quickly turned heated when Eric took the reigns.

And I didn't stop him.

I settled into his arms and rested more fully against his chest as our tongues explored each other's mouths. I felt his hands move down my hips to cup my lower cheeks and I moved my hands down his chest, and under his shirt, to scrape my nails across his stomach.

I immediately felt myself lifted and placed down on my back on the airplane sofa with Eric's weight resting slightly on top of me. He kissed down my cheek and neck, and back up to whisper in my ear.

"You are such a tease." He said softly as he nibbled on my ear. "You wait until we don't have time to try to join the club."

I was so excited about the beach and happy with my realization that Eric truly cared about me that I felt like teasing him.

I turned my head slightly to run my tongue up his throat to his ear. I felt him shiver in response and I whispered to him.

"Who said anything about joining a club? Maybe I just wanted to make-out with you."

The expression on Eric's face when he pulled back to look at me was hilarious. He was completely shocked by my actions.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"You think you are funny?" He smiled at me but there was a mischievousness in his eyes that pulled me up short.

I swallowed carefully and tried to stop grinning.

Before our playfulness could go any further, the pilot interrupted us again over the cabin speakers. I guess we had been too distracted to notice that we had landed.

Oops.

"_Mr. Northman, welcome to Key West. You may exit the plan momentarily. The ground crew is setting up the stairway"_

"Florida! We're in Florida!" I said excitedly as Eric helped me up off the couch.

"Yes, but this isn't our last stop." He answered while grabbing two carry-on bags out of the overhead compartment.

"It's not?" I asked before I thought of another question. "Where did the bags come from?"

"Pam packed a bag for you since the trip was a surprise." He answered. "I'll tell you about our destination once we are alone."

The cockpit door opened then and the pilot walked over and opened the external door for us. Immediately I could smell and feel the difference in the ocean-tinged air from the humid air of my home state.

I was bouncing on the balls of my feet.

I was _that _excited.

I could feel Eric's amusement at my excitement through the bond even though he seemed stoic on the outside. I guess he didn't want to seem like a carefree vampire in front of the pilot.

Oh well.

As we walked away from the plane, I was suddenly picked up bridal style, and we were flying through the air.

"Let me guess." I laughed. "Harder to track if we fly?"

"You are learning." Eric smirked at me. "Yes, we are flying to the island. We will be there in about ten minutes. Enjoy the flight Ms. Stackhouse."

I snuggled closer into Eric's arms and nuzzled his neck while I took in the scene around me.

As we flew further into the night and away from the mainland, the stars seemed brighter and the reflection of the moon on the ocean was beautiful beyond words. It was absolutely gorgeous

I took a deep breath and inhaled the salty air along with Eric's distinctly masculine scent. The combined smells made me feel relaxed and safe. I settled deeper into Eric's arms and closed my eyes to enjoy the moment.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a couch that rested across from a large fireplace that was crackling with a warm light. As I looked around the room, I saw a couple of dark leather chairs and some matching tables. There were also a few dimly lit gas lanterns placed around the room.

"There's no electricity on the island."

Eric's voice came from behind me and made me jump. He was toweling off his hair and was only wearing a pair of jogging pants. The sight of his perfect chest along with the low hanging pants that clearly exposed the V of his abdomen was too much to take in. My body was instantly heating up and I completely lost track of what I was thinking about.

"Um. . . what?" I asked.

Eric smirked at me. "There is no electricity here. That's the reason for the lanterns and the fire."

"I guess it would be hard to get electricity on a deserted island." I laughed a little to try to break the sexual tension I was feeling.

What was wrong with me? Earlier I was making out with Eric on the plane and now I want to jump him.

When did everything change? More importantly, when did I stop distrusting Eric and suddenly decide I want him?

I made the decision to think about that tomorrow and cut off my internal ramblings.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked while sitting up and stretching.

As Eric came over and sat on the other end of the couch from where I was sitting, he said. "About two and a half hours, but you need the rest if you are going to stay up for the sunrise. It's in about two and a half hours"

I shrugged. "I could always go back to sleep."

Not that I would. I might as well enjoy the sun tomorrow.

"Not really." Eric answered with a smile. "I'm afraid you will be having visitors for most of the morning and early afternoon."

"What? Who?" I asked flabbergasted (Thank you word of the day calendar).

"I thought this island was a secret. Who would be visiting me?" I added on when I recovered from my shock.

"I arranged for someone to come and cook you whatever you would like tomorrow. I'm afraid they will be bringing the '_all American breakfast_' as they called it, but they will be leaving to get whatever they need to make you lunch and dinner."

My jaw dropped and I stuttered out the first thing that came to mind. "How will they cook here without electricity?"

Eric laughed at me. "Do you think there has been electricity since the beginning of time Ms. Stackhouse?"

I blushed at his question, but before I could stammer out a reply Eric was speaking again.

"They are going to cook on their boat."

"Oh." I replied.

"Also," Eric continued. "Pam has provided you with what she calls 'the turning gift that keeps on giving.'"

"Should I be scared?" I asked with a laugh.

"I would be." He smiled warmly and I couldn't help but return the look.

Eric was so easy to get along with when he was like this.

"She's arranged for a spa to send out someone to help you get in 'transition' shape. Pam said you wouldn't want split ends for eternity. She also said you owed her for not having to shave ever again."

"Oh my gosh!" I laughed. "I do love her!"

We were quiet for a couple of moments while I thought about all the visitors I would have tomorrow morning. However, I soon realized I had questions.

"Eric, isn't it dangerous for all those people to be here and know where we are?"

He smiled proudly at me. "I'm glad you thought of that, but Pam is taking care of all the risks."

"I thought she stayed in Louisiana?"

"No. She left after us." He explained. "She is glamouring the humans. They won't be able to tell anyone where they are going or be able to remember where they were. If they think they are being followed, they won't show up. Plus, they have no link to me or you so there's no reason for anyone to follow them."

"Oh. Okay. Good."

What else could I really say except, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He answered warmly. "Would you like to go outside? I know you have more questions but I thought you might want to sit on the beach."

I was on my feet before I could blink.

"I'd love to!"

Eric laughed at me again and offered me his hand. "I thought you would want to see the beach, so I already laid out some blankets on the sand."

As Eric led me out of the simple home, I let out a small gasp at the sight before me.

I had imagined what a tropical island would look like before. I had read tons of romance novels that described tropical islands. I had seen pictures of islands.

But I had never imagined anything _this_ beautiful.

We were walking on a simple sand path about fifty feet long that curved from the house to the beach. The sides of the path were lined with a few lit tiki torches. The firelight allowed me to see the beautiful flowers and palm trees stretching for as far as I could see in the darkness. There were several shades of purple, blue, red, and yellow flowers surrounding me and they looked extremely exotic.

When I turned to look at the home we had just left, I was surprised to see that it was a simple one-story building. The house was a dark, brown brick that was easily camouflaged by the surrounding foliage. I hadn't seen the entire building yet, but by its size I was guessing there were only one or two rooms.

The house seemed to have been built with simplicity in mind.

It was a cottage from a fairytale in the middle of wonderland.

When I had finally taken in all the beauty of my surroundings, I turned to look at Eric.

He half-smiled at me. "Godric enjoys the simple beauty of this place. Everything is indigenous of the island. He says it is nearly impossible to find peace anymore because there are few places left untouched in the world. He comes here to enjoy the quiet and beauty of nature."

"I don't even have words to describe it all. I've never seen anything like it." I whispered my admiration of our surroundings because I didn't want to disrupt the tranquility by speaking too loudly.

Eric wrapped his arms around me and pulled my back against his chest. I found myself easily accepting his touch and I placed my hands over his on my stomach.

Eric's chin rested on my head as he spoke, "This is only our first stop, Sookie. I will show you more exotic places than you've ever dreamed of, and I will again enjoy places I have long thought had lost any wonder because I will experience them anew through your eyes."

As we both stood on Godric's island and passed contentment between us through our new bond, I decided to finally ask one of the questions that had been burning to get out.

"Eric?"

"Yes, Sookie."

"Why are you so different now?" I asked. "Some times I feel like you are Jekyll and Hyde. One minute you are understanding and caring toward me, and the next you seem angry and remote. I'm having a hard time keeping my footing around you."

Eric unwrapped himself from me but kept hold of one of my hands, as he lead me down the stone path to the blankets he had laid out. Once we were settled lying on our sides facing each other, he answered my question.

"Sookie, a vampire cannot seem weak in front of others. Emotions are a weakness to vampires. Therefore, we learn to hide them in order to survive."

"But. . ." I started.

"Let me finish." He interrupted me. "With you, I cannot hide my emotions because of the bond. So, when we are alone I have no way, or reason, to hide."

I thought about it for a minute and I realized that he was normally the most candid with me when we were alone. However, I still had one problem with his explanation.

"But sometimes when we are alone, you are still an overbearing jerk." I blurted out before covering with a quick. "Sorry, Sorry!"

He laughed at my outburst before becoming serious. "I am still your Maker and much older than you. There is a lot for you to learn and you are still very young even in human terms. You are ruled by your emotions and this could get us both killed. It is my responsibility to teach you and discipline you."

He paused for a moment before going on.

"I will be fair with you and encourage you, but there will be times that you may hate me for the lessons I have to teach you. This is unfortunate but unavoidable."

I stared at him with my mouth gaping open. "You _want _me to hate you."

"No." He answered quickly. "I don't want you to hate me, but I dare say you will at some point. There will be lessons that you won't understand, and you will think I only do things to be cruel or hurtful."

"Maybe you could figure out another way?" I almost pleaded before mumbling. "I don't want to hate you."

I was surprised when the words left my mouth but I realized they were true.

How could my world have changed so much in only three days?

Even though I tried to never show it, I was afraid of Eric only three nights ago. I was sure he would use any opportunity to control me and use me for my quirk. I didn't think he had any morals and I knew he cared about himself above everything else. I was sure he was the enemy.

Someone to avoid.

Yet, now I felt like he was my safe harbor, friend, protector, and confidant. I no longer felt like he wanted to use me and he did have a sense of honor and fairness – even if it was a little skewed. I felt like he was honest with me and he had become someone I . . .

Cared about.

Holy shit!

"What are you thinking about?" Eric's voice shocked me out of my train of thought and I flopped onto my back while I tried to formulate my reply.

"I'm thinking about how much has changed in three days."

"You mean like the fact that you don't hate me anymore?" Eric asked teasingly; but I could hear the curiosity in his voice.

"Eric," My tone was serious and his expression changed to match it. "I never _hated_ you. I simply didn't trust you or what you wanted from me."

"Didn't?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "But you do now?"

"Somewhat. Perhaps." I smiled. "But I think I need to know more before I make my decision."

"Wise choice." Eric winked at me. "What would you like to know now?"

For the next hour or so, Eric and I spent time getting to know each other.

He told me his favorite place to visit was still his homeland and I learned that he listened to music based on his mood. Therefore, I should never come near him when he was listening to heavy metal because he's more than likely enraged about something. However, jazz means he's in a relaxed mood. He said Pam always tries to get his credit cards when he listens to jazz.

We had a nice laugh over that fact.

He also told me about some of the inaccuracies of history books in regards to the Viking era and about how he hates vampire politics.

When we talked about me, I shared with him my family tree. I told him about finding out about my parents' death and then my Aunt Linda dying from cancer. Mostly though, I talked about my Gran and how much she did for me. He listened carefully and told me my Gran must have been a strong and honorable woman for everything she had done for our family.

Of course, I agreed.

Then, I shared my embarrassing addiction to cheesy romance novels. Eric said I should try some of Jane Austin's books because he felt like I'd enjoy them. He even said he'd get them for me when we returned home.

He asked about places I've wanted to visit and I immediately told him about my fascination with Australia.

He promised we would go to Australia soon.

Eventually, I asked about Eric's human family and I noticed he tense up immediately. So, I backtracked.

"You don't have to tell me now, Eric." I said reassuringly. "Just know that I would like to hear about your family when you are willing."

Eric just nodded and turned his head to look at the ocean. I followed his gaze and found myself soothed by the rhythm of the waves and the glow of the moon on the dark water.

We sat in comfortable silence for what seemed an immeasurable amount of time, before I decided to go back to my list of questions I had for Eric about my new life.

"Eric," I asked softly. "How long will I have to wait before I can see Jason or Lafayette?"

"Hmmm." Eric answered lazily. "It will really depend on you. Your control, your behavior, and your punishments."

"Punishments?" I sat up quickly and looked at him.

"Yes." Eric said somberly. "I've told you that we will have to talk about your punishments for disobeying or disrespecting me. With Pam, I was able to use mostly spankings to punish her, but I think that would mostly just inflame you more if I used it too often. So, I think the best reward and punishment system for you revolves around time with the ones you care about."

My heart clenched.

Just when I was starting to open myself up to Eric, he does something like this.

"But . . ."

"But nothing." He interrupts me sternly. "You have no say in your punishments. You only have control in how often I have to deny you the opportunity to visit with your brother and friend. If you behave and have enough control, then you will see them soon. If you act like a hothead who follows every little emotion and cannot keep yourself from attacking humans or disrespecting me, then it will be much longer before you see them."

After he finished speaking, I glared at him for several moments before turning to face the ocean waves again.

I _really_ wanted to argue with him. I wanted to yell at him and tell him he had no right to keep my brother away from me. I wanted to chastise him for being so high handed. I wanted to run to the house and slam the door.

But I locked my muscles, stayed still, and took deep breaths of the ocean breeze.

I spent several quiet minutes arguing with myself and calming myself down. Everything from "you signed up for this" to "that selfish bastard" went through my mind in those few minutes, but I literally bit my tongue to keep quiet.

And that just made me angrier.

Because Eric had found the one thing that could quiet possibly overrule my pride and stubbornness.

My family and friends.

As if Eric could sense my internal struggle and see that I was finally starting to come to grips with my new reality where I didn't have complete control over my life, he pulled me against his chest and stroked my hair.

"I will not abuse the trust you have placed in me by choosing me to be your Maker, Sookie." He said quietly and I just nodded since I was too busy reminding myself of some very simple facts.

I _chose_ this. I could have left but I didn't.

I _chose_ him. I could have told the Magister I wanted someone else.

And he _chose _me. He had plenty of ways of changing things if he didn't want me.

Eric was right.

I could have walked away.

He could have walked away.

But we were both still here.

I may be required to follow Eric's commands, but he was giving up his ability to live on his own.

He could order Pam away.

But we were a partnership.

We would always be together.

And I would never be human again.

I would never have children.

I would never be married.

I would watch my friends die of old age.

I would watch Jason and his children, and their children pass away.

I would never grow old.

I would always be as I am now.

Tears were flowing down my face as my thoughts spiraled out of control and Eric's chest was very wet before I even realized I had started crying.

"Cry as long as you need." Eric soothed me. "It's okay. You need this to accept what is to come."

"But I don't know what's coming! I don't know what to expect! I can't even picture the future because I don't know anything!" I cried out. "I don't even know what to hope for or what dreams I should have because it's all so foreign to me. What will I be like? What will I do? What will I want? All I know is how to be human!"

A part of me was aware that my rant was incoherent but I couldn't find the words to say exactly what I was feeling. I was so frustrated, angry, and afraid that my shoulders were shaking with the force of my sobs.

"I know you are afraid and I wish I had the words to take away your fears, but its natural to fear what you don't know. Try to remember that you will not be alone. I will always be with you even if you do not want me to be." Eric teased slightly. "So, if you find looking into the future to seem like looking into a black hole, try picturing me there instead. For I will be by your side, always."

As Eric spoke, my sobbing lessened into a quiet waterfall of tears. Softly I asked, "What will my future be like? What will I do every night?"

Still petting my hair, Eric shrugged his shoulders while he spoke, "Whatever you would like to do, Sookie. There are some limitations because of the sun and politics, but those can mostly be worked around."

Eric pulled away slightly to look at my face.

"Is there anything you've dreamed of doing? If money and family commitments were not in the way, what would you have chosen to do instead of waitressing?"

Before I could get a rant going about how waitressing was not a _bad_ thing, Eric had a finger on my lips.

"I'm not saying waitressing is bad, but we both know it would not have been your first choice if you could have done anything you wished."

I sighed.

"It wouldn't work Eric." I said sadly.

"So, there is something." Eric said smugly.

"Yes, but it would be impossible for a vampire."

"Tell me."

I looked out at the ocean and spoke quietly. "I wanted to study social work. I wanted to help those who couldn't help themselves. With my history. . . " I trailed off not wanting to go into all the sadness and past abuse again. "Well, I wasn't specifically set on helping children, but I wanted to help others. That's what I wanted to do."

Eric was quiet for a few minutes and I knew he was trying to think of a way to give me what I had always secretly wanted. When the quiet had stretched on long enough for me to realize that sunrise would be coming soon, I decided to let him off the hook.

"Eric, its okay. I know it's not . . . "

"It's not impossible, Sookie. I've only been thinking it through." Eric said simply. I looked at him and was surprised to find a smile on his face. It was disarming.

"I agree that it will likely be a while before humans accept a vampire in social work. However, there are several ways you could help others by helping me as your Sheriff."

I was intrigued, but skeptical.

"Like what?"

"More often than I'd like, there are young vampires that come to my area and do not have any money, a place to live, or possessions. They have either been released by their Masters with nothing to their name or their Makers met their final deaths and they are alone." Eric explained. "I could give you the resources to help them get settled in Area Five. Also, you could help protect the vampires and humans of the area by scanning the minds at Fangtasia for underage kids, drainers, drug dealers, and the like."

I just stared at him.

"If this isn't to your liking . . ." Eric started when he obviously couldn't make sense of my body language or my emotions through the bond.

"I love it!" I interrupted him with a hug, and he laughed while hugging me back.

"We can work out the particulars when you get a little control, but the point, dear Sookie, is that there is still a future that you can look forward to. It's not all darkness and death."

I sat back on my heels in front of Eric and placed my hands on both sides of his neck.

"Thank you." I said with tears in my eyes.

For the first time in three days, I felt something other than determination and resolve when I thought about my turning.

Now, I felt hope.

And I had the vampire in front of me to thank for it all.

For protecting me, for teaching me, for comforting me, for caring for me, and for giving me hope.

Slowly, I let my hands move into his hair and behind his neck. I leaned forward and softly placed a lingering kiss on his surprisingly soft lips.

"Thank you." I whispered against his lips as his hands came up to hold my face. "Thank you for everything."

Pulling back slightly, Eric's eyes drilled into my own. "This is how it will always be, Sookie. I will always do what I can to teach you, protect you, and make you happy. You may not always agree with me and might get angry with me, but everything I do will be for one of those reasons."

I nodded in response as a single lone tear of gratitude escaped my eyes. No one except Gran had ever done so much for me.

Eric sensually kissed the tear away before pulling back a little more and breaking our intimate moment.

"Unfortunately, sunrise will be soon and I have one last thing to tell you before I rest." Eric said softly.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The people from the spa and the cook that is coming have been instructed to give you safe passage if you decide to leave."

My face scrunched up in confusion. "Why would I need to leave?"

"I want you to relax today and enjoy the sun, the food, and Pam's gift. However, if you decide this is not what you want, then all you need to do is leave. I will not follow you and I have enough options with the Magister to keep me from being punished."

"I . . . I don't understand." I stammered out.

"It's simple, Sookie." Eric said while brushing my hair from my face. "I want you to know you are not a prisoner in this. If you stay, I will change you before the next sunrise because it is what both of us want. If you leave, then you have your freedom and I release you from the agreement."

"Eric," I said surprised. "I don't want re . . ."

Eric held his hand up to stop me. "We do not need to argue about it. I am simply telling you the facts. You understand?"

I sighed and nodded. He was so stubborn.

"Now, I must go rest." Eric said as he stood up and brushed a little sand off of his pants. "The sun will rise in about ten minutes."

I stood in front of Eric and quickly placed my arms around his waist to hold him for a moment.

He returned the gesture and kissed me softly on the forehead.

We both released each other at the same time and he walked up to the cottage without looking back.

I watched him go until I could no longer see him, and then sat back down on the blanket to watch my last sunrise.

* * *

A/N: Please share your thoughts by clicking the review button. Love you all!


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Hello my lovely readers! Thank you for all my reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know I've been a little scarce on updates for my other stories and I apologize. I've been trying to get this chapter right and I've had a lot going on in my real life. Anyway, I hope to update my other stories soon.

As always, my beta, Northman Maille, is terrific. She did a great job helping me finalize this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own it. I just play with it.

* * *

_Previously: _

_I stood in front of Eric and quickly placed my arms around his waist to hold him for a moment. _

_He returned the gesture and kissed me softly on the forehead._

_We both released each other at the same time and he walked up to the cottage without looking back._

_I watched him go until I could no longer see him, and then sat back down on the blanket to watch my last sunrise._

* * *

After a few moments, the sky began to lighten and fill with differing shades of red, blue, orange, and yellow as the sun began to peek over the horizon. When the warm breeze came in from the ocean and blew my hair around my face and shoulders, I felt comforted by my surroundings, and calmer than I could ever remember being.

More importantly, I felt ready.

As I lay on the beach watching the sunrise, I let my mind replay the last several days.

I thought about the tribunal, my confrontation with my brother and my friends, and the revelations about my heritage. Mostly though, I thought about my life before the events that occurred in the junkyard and contrasted it with the time I'd spent with Eric and Pam.

My life in Bon Temps was simple. I took care of my friends and family while doing what I had to do in order to keep Gran's house up and running.

Before I met Bill, I didn't really have any focus in my life other than Gran and work. After meeting Bill, it was as though he took over my life. I was always thinking about him, seeing him, or dealing with some vampire mess he dragged me into. I reveled in his silence and the opportunity to be close to someone physically for the first time, but I could see now I was still isolated and lonely.

I always felt alone because I was so different from everyone else. One would think Bill would have understood that feeling, but hindsight made it clear that Bill never accepted his vampire nature. He obviously still had his own issues to deal with regarding his turning.

I think that was why I still felt lonely around Bill. He always wanted to talk about my telepathy, and how it made me so unlike other people. Maybe my differences made him feel less alone.

With Gran, she was always there for me, but she couldn't really comprehend how I felt since she was neither telepathic nor ostracized by everyone around her. Of course, she accepted my wishes not to talk about my little secret; so it was an unspoken rule in our house that we didn't.

While I had asked for the silence on my quirk, it was also another way that I felt isolated. I didn't even have anyone to talk with about my struggles.

I didn't blame anyone for not understanding. It was just impossible to 'get' if you didn't experience that feeling of being an outsider and seeing how everyone else viewed you. It was impossible to explain to others how you wanted to talk about your differences with them but at the same time not be treated as if you are different. I had accepted that I was in this world alone when it came to my _otherness_.

At least, that was how I felt until three days ago..

Pam and Eric obviously didn't understand what it was like to be a telepath. However, it was clear that they also didn't see me as disabled or crazy. They knew more about my quirk than most people, and they were also the only ones to know about my Fae and witch blood. Yet, they didn't treat me as _different_ in any way.

Well, except maybe the occasional snide remark from Pam about me being a mutt.

Eric and Pam seemed to understand me better than anyone else I'd ever met. They didn't take excuses from me; they challenged me to be better.

And I hadn't felt lonely since that first night at Eric's home.

_Our_ home.

My decision was made.

I would be a vampire.

And it _was_ my choice.

Although the events of the last few days could have gone any number of ways, the important part was that the outcome was _my_ decision.

Some people might believe that I was forced into the decision I was making but I don't see it that way.

Every day people make the choice between cream and sugar, right and wrong, and life and death. Perhaps we think it's unfair sometimes that we can't have the best of both worlds, and that we have to make a choice at all, but that is a fact of life. Choices must be made and we have to live with their outcome. All we can hope for is that we get to make an informed decision, and that we have the serenity to accept the things we cannot change.

I choose to be a vampire.

I could leave the island now and hide from everyone; Eric would let me go. I could call on Fintan to come take me away, and he would hide me away from everyone, and protect me. I could call the police and tell them I am being forced into vampirism. I could swim into the ocean until I became too tired to continue, and drown in its unforgiving depths.

These were all choices I _could_ make and they would _all_ have consequences.

But I am choosing to become a vampire.

I will miss the sun and food. There will be pain involved when I outlive those I care for. I know that I will fight with Eric often, and he has warned me that I may hate him at times.

But I will never be alone again.

That was his promise to me on my first night in our home.

And I believed him.

With my decision made and reaffirmed, I laid back down on the blanket Eric had placed on the beach for me. I stretched out in the early morning sun with a slight smile on my face and I fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

"Ms Stackhouse?"

"Hmmm." I hummed as I curled onto my side.

"Ms. Stackhouse?" The male voice said again but with a little more volume.

Slowly, I opened my eyes to see a young man with short, sandy, blonde hair standing over me. He was about six feet tall with a slight build and he was wearing what appeared to be a white waiter's outfit.

I immediately sat up and looked around while I tried to get my bearings. It only took a moment for me to spot a small yacht docked a short way down the beach.

"Ms. Stackhouse," the man spoke again "My name is Andrew and I will be your waiter throughout the day. Would you like to eat on the beach or inside your cottage?"

"Ummm." I stuttered for a moment as I tried to shake off the last few cobwebs from my nap. "I'd like to eat on the beach if that's alright."

"Of course." Andrew answered with a smile. "We have been told to provide whatever you like. I will have your breakfast set up momentarily, and then we can discuss your menu for the rest of the day."

Before I could say anything in response, Andrew was walking back towards the boat and I was alone again.

_Well, that was interesting_.

I reached out with my mind to scan the boat and everyone on it but I didn't get anything other than six minds going about their duties. Feeling safe in my surroundings, I stood up and stretched towards the sky.

Immediately I felt the grittiness of the sand that had made its way all over my body.

Looking down the beach, I saw that Andrew was only then coming ashore from the boat with a small table. I figured I had enough time to run into the cottage and wash off the sand.

As I entered the cottage, I realized the trees surrounding the building kept out most of the natural light and I automatically reached for a light switch, before I remembered that the island didn't have electricity.

Which made me conscious of the fact it probably didn't have running water.

Damn!

While I considered washing and other bathroom issues, I noticed a small hurricane lamp that was still lit. As I walked towards it, I saw a small note with my name on it.

When in the world did Eric have time to write me this?

Taking the small note in my hand, I walked out of the cottage and onto the sunlit path to read my message.

_Sookie – _

_As you have probably noticed, the island does not have bathroom facilities. Do not worry. The yacht is at your disposal for bathing and your other human needs. Simply ask Andrew to show you around whenever you are ready to go onboard. _

_A second boat with Pam's gift should be arriving shortly after your breakfast. This boat is also at your disposal._

_Enjoy your day. I hope to see you at sunset._

_~E_

"That man really does think of everything." I said with a shake of my head.

"Excuse me ma'am"

I jumped in surprise as Andrew approached me.

"I apologize. I did not mean to startle you." He said with a small bow of the head. "I only wished to let you know that breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes. Would you like to come aboard the yacht to wash up?"

I sighed in relief that I wouldn't have to be the one to bring up my bathing issues.

"Yes, please." I said. "Just give me one moment to grab my bag."

"Certainly, ma'am."

After grabbing the bag Pam had packed for me, I started back towards the path. I just hoped it had what I needed in it.

As I walked out of the cottage, Andrew stepped forward.

"Miss, let me take your bag."

Before I could protest, he already had my bag and was leading me back towards the shore.

We were silent as we walked the fifty feet to the boat and I enjoyed the sound of the waves crashing into the beach. When we reached the gangway to board the yacht, Andrew led the way.

I was in awe as he showed me around the living compartments of the floating home. There were two small bedrooms and one master bedroom with a master bathroom. Of course, the master bed and bath were not as huge as the ones at home, but they were still much larger than I would expect to find on a boat.

"The Chef says your food will be ready in ten minutes and the Captain says we are to expect the second boat in about forty-five minutes." Andrew informed me as we finished the tour in the Master Suite.

"Thank you Andrew." I said graciously. "I'm going to clean up and I will be outside in just a few minutes."

"Of course, Miss." He bowed again. "Please let me know if you need anything."

As soon as Andrew left, I locked the bedroom door and turned to investigate my carryon bag.

After five minutes of pulling everything out, I realized Pam could not be trusted with my clothing.

All she had packed for me were extremely revealing bikinis and a note stating, _"You don't want tan lines following you into eternity."_

I didn't even know I'd keep any of my tan.

Well, there was something to make me smile since I loved my golden skin tone.

Luckily, Pam had also packed a sarong to match my chosen bikini. The bikini tied behind my neck and the matching sarong was white with large red flowers. I had to admit it looked amazing, but I would rather have worn more clothes to breakfast.

After putting my hair in a loose bun, and taking a quick shower to wash off the sand; I threw on my bikini and sarong and made my way back to the beach.

If the wonderful smell of breakfast on the boat was any indication, then I was in for a real treat.

Andrew greeted me as soon as I stepped off the boat and he pulled out a chair for me to sit at the small table he had set up.

I'm sure my mouth was gaping open at everything I was seeing. Not only was the table set with fine china and roses, but also the food looked absolutely amazing. The table was crowded with eggs, bacon, grits, sausage, biscuits, and pancakes that looked as fluffy as Gran's had always been.

"I hope everything meets your approval."

"It looks _wonderful_." I beamed. "You didn't have to go to this much trouble."

"It was not too much trouble and I don't mind going to any amount of trouble for a man trying to impress his woman." Andrew said with a small smile.

I blushed at his assumption but that wasn't what was going on here.

Was it?

I decided to think more about that later and I dove into the buffet in front of me. I moaned when I took the first bite of the pancakes.

Then I yelled for Andrew to come back.

"Is something wrong Miss?"

"Andrew, these pancakes taste so much like the one's my Gran used to make. Please tell the chef that I'm in heaven." I'm sure I had tears in my eyes. I hadn't had the courage to make her pancakes since her funeral.

"Well, Ms. Stackhouse, it is your Gran's recipe so . . ."

"WHAT?" I interrupted him in surprise.

"Yes. Mr. Northman was able to get copies from your home I believe." He said as he patted his jacket. "Oh yes, here is the note I was to give you after breakfast."

After I took the note, Andrew walked away to get me some fresh coffee and I opened the folded piece of paper.

_Sookie_ –

_I know you enjoy traditions and simple things more than expensive or meaningless items. Therefore, I thought you might enjoy having your Grandmother's recipes cooked for your final meals. _

_The Chef has a copy of all the recipes Pam could find in your kitchen. He can also make anything else that you may know the recipe for. All you need to do is tell Andrew which items you would like to have, and they will be made for you._

_However, if you prefer, they can also fix you something more glamorous like steak, squid, or lobster._

_Whatever you wish is their command._

_Enjoy your day!_

_~E_

I was so touched I didn't know whether to laugh, smile like a loon, or cry.

My body seemed to make the decision for me as I laughed until I cried.

I think I scared Andrew.

"Ms. Stackhouse?" He said tentatively.

"I'm fine." I said hoarsely. "I'm just touched by his thoughtfulness."

Andrew only nodded in response and I realized he was waiting for my lunch and dinner order. I thought about it for a minute and decided just to list my favorites, even if they were a little too heavy to be having all in one day.

It wasn't like I was going to be gaining weight.

"I'd like jambalaya for lunch and fried chicken for dinner. The chef can pick the sides. I'd like my Gran's apple pie for dessert."

"Wonderful choices! I'll let the chef know." Andrew answered ceremoniously. "I believe we may have all the ingredients we need without having to return to the mainland."

"Oh. Good." I responded automatically before he walked away and I returned to devouring my breakfast.

While I enjoyed Gran's pancakes and the biggest breakfast I'd had since her passing, I lost myself in my thoughts again as I considered all of the things Eric had done for me.

He had been taking care of me since the tribunal. He had let my brother and Lafayette live when I'm certain he would have killed any other humans that had committed similar offenses. He had been patient and caring with me regarding the revelations from my past, and he had been attentive in giving me one last day to enjoy my human life.

It made me wonder how he would have treated me if the whole mess with the tribunal had never happened and if I wasn't with Bill when we met. Would he have tried to woo me or would he have just treated me as an asset, or fangbanger? Was he only doing all of this because I was going to be his child, or to get me into his bed?

I shook my head and stopped the doubts from creeping back in.

The whys didn't matter anymore because Eric would soon be my bonded Maker. Of course he would want me happy, because we would always be together. We would be miserable if one of us was always pulling the other one down.

Thinking about Eric brought back the memory of my feelings from last night. When I was around him, I felt warm and safe, but I also felt a great affection building for Eric.

Did I love him?

No.

Not yet anyway.

But I did care for him.

Deeply.

And based on my lustful reactions to him, I knew I _wanted _him.

Consequently, I was quickly realizing that I was fighting a losing battle when it came to my attraction to Eric. Even more so, I was beginning to realize that I was fighting my attraction to him for no real reason.

So, before I could start thinking of arguments against it, I found myself lost in lustful daydreams involving Eric, the beach, and myself. Unfortunately, my steamy thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a boat approaching our location.

I looked over my shoulder and saw another vessel, smaller than the yacht, nearing the beach. Again, I scanned the people onboard and I found nothing to worry about. The three people on the boat were only thinking about the beauty of the island and their jobs. One of them was Rick, he was the Captain, and the other two were Sasha and Mary.

I watched Andrew clean off the breakfast table and carry items back onto the yacht while the smaller boat anchored itself close by. By the time my food had settled, Andrew had finished his task and was ready to resume his post. He told me he would return with my lunch after my spa treatments but I was welcome onboard at any time.

Around the same time that Andrew returned to the yacht, Sasha and Mary came ashore. Sasha looked to be in her early twenties and she had the dark tan of someone who lived on the beach. She had dark brown eyes, curly, chocolate hair with natural, red highlights, and a tall, slender frame. She looked like someone who would live on a deserted island.

If Sasha looked exotic, then Mary was her opposite. Mary looked to be the same age as Sasha, but that was where the similarities ended. Mary was only about five foot six with a small, but shapelier, figure. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were a sparkling blue like the water surrounding the island.

"Hello," Mary started. "You must be Ms. Stackhouse."

"Yes, I am but please call me Sookie."

"Sookie. I'm Mary and this is Sasha. We were hired by Ms. Pam to do your hair and nails, along with some waxing and a full body massage."

"Wow. She really went for the works." I laughed.

Usually, I would have protested such pampering, but I was having a good time today and I was willing to enjoy all the new experiences while I could.

"Ms. Pam asked us to give you this note." Sasha said as she handed me an envelope.

I had to laugh. It was really my day to get notes from the vampires.

After unfolding the piece of paper I pulled out of the envelope, I read its contents to myself.

_Sookie_ –

_You will enjoy my gift. I have given very specific instructions to Mary and Sasha to ensure you are in top shape for your turning. You can thank me forever. Shoes and clothing are always welcomed._

_~Pam_

_P.S. I can vouch for Sasha's talents beyond hair and nails. Feel free to test them yourself._

My face and body instantly turned red as I blushed from head to toe. I immediately started laughing while I wondered if I'd ever get used to Pam's mannerisms.

I had a feeling she was going to try to corrupt me more than Eric ever would, and that was really saying something!

When I finally stopped laughing, I realized that Sasha and Mary were staring at me.

"I'm sorry." I blushed some more. "Pam has a way with words."

I cleared my throat and stood up before saying, "So, where are we doing this?"

For the next few hours, I was brushed, buffed, and babied. Sasha and Mary led me back to their boat and Sasha started by giving my hair a trim. At first, I was worried that Pam would have my hair cut too short but Sasha had been told to only trim my hair and give me a little bit of a layer at the end of my hair to give a little more volume.

I was okay with that.

While Sasha was cutting my hair, Mary started soaking my feet in some type of solution she said would soften my skin. After about fifteen minutes of this, Mary started buffing my feet until they were as soft as a baby's butt. Then she started on my toenails.

As Mary was finishing with my feet, Sasha finished with my hair and started soaking my hands and nails in the same solution Mary had used. The whole process started over with my hands, and they were incredibly soft with well-rounded nails.

We didn't bother with nail polish.

Next came the painful part as Mary led me into a small bedroom and had me strip down and cover with a towel.

I could have done without the waxing.

By the time Mary was done with me, I wondered if I had any hair left on my body.

I think I would have rather shaved for the rest of eternity. As I waited for Sasha to come and give me my massage, I decided that instead of getting Pam shoes or clothes as a thank you I would be getting her a glamoured group of ugly, poorly dressed admirers.

As tense and tingly as I was after my waxing, I was thankful for the full body massage and I was back to singing Pam's praises by the time it was over. I had never felt so relaxed and healthy. It was perfect.

When all my treatments were over, I put my bikini back on and went back out to the beach, after saying thank you to Sasha and Mary.

As soon as I stepped onto the sand, Andrew was walking towards me.

He really was Johnny on the spot.

"Ms. Stackhouse- " He started before I interrupted him.

"Sookie, please." I couldn't believe I'd forgotten to tell him that earlier.

"Sookie." He smiled. "I have set up a tent for you on the beach, per Mr. Northman's request."

"A tent?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. He didn't want you to get sick from the heat or irritated by the sand." Andrew explained as he led the way to the tent. "There is a battery operated fan along with a large sofa for you to rest on and several towels and drinks. We also brought some of the books he said were gathered from your home."

I stopped walking and my mouth dropped open. My mind was stuck on one word.

"Did you say _couch_?"

Andrew's gave me a knowing smile. "It's not that uncommon of a request from our clientele, but I do believe Mr. Northman is attempting to spoil you."

"Well, I think he's achieved that goal about ten times over." I mumbled and I heard Andrew laugh in response.

As I stood at the entrance of the tent that looked like it came from the set of some romantic movie, Andrew continued telling me about the day's plans.

"I will be bringing your lunch shortly, and then you have the rest of the day to enjoy the sun and water."

"Thank you Andrew." I said politely. "This is absolutely beautiful."

As he headed back towards the yacht to bring my lunch, I explored the amazing tent that Andrew had erected near the same spot my blanket had been the night before.

The tent itself was eight feet tall and about ten feet by six feet wide. The roof was white and the poles at each corner were covered with a red silk material. White netting also covered three sides with the fourth side being tied back by a red tie. The brown suede couch Andrew had placed inside was easily large enough for me to nap on and the battery-operated fan was on a stand pointed towards the couch.

A table had been placed in front of the couch and it was covered with some of my books from home, a few towels, a couple of bottles of water in a bucket of ice, and a pitcher of sweet tea. Sitting in front of the tent was a lounge chair for me to use for tanning, and there were several options of tanning lotions lying on the ground next to it.

I felt like I was in one of my romance novels and I half expected to be seduced by a harem of men at any moment.

Seriously, _that _was how fantastical the whole set up looked.

I don't know how long I stood there looking into the tent before Andrew returned and broke me out of my thoughts.

"Sookie, is something wrong? I can change anything that displeases you."

"No. No." I reassured him. "I'm just not used to this kind of pampering. I guess I'm a little overwhelmed."

He smiled in response. "Well, let me set up your lunch and you will have the next few hours to relax and adjust to it."

And that's exactly what happened.

After eating my Gran's jambalaya for lunch, Andrew left me alone for most of the day, until dinner. I used the time to relax in the sun and swim in the warm waters. I tanned on the chaise lounge while reading my books and then I spent a little bit of time cooling down on the couch.

I couldn't remember a time in my life when I had spent an entire day so relaxed and pampered. I knew I wasn't the type to want to live this way every day, but I couldn't lie and say I didn't enjoy my last day in the sun.

The best part about the day was that I felt at peace. There wasn't one point in time when I felt stressed or scared about what was to come. To be honest, I didn't even allow myself to dwell on my turning.

I simply enjoyed the warmth, the beach, and the sun.

At least, that was true until dinnertime.

When Andrew brought me my Gran's fried chicken for dinner, he laid out a table with all the fixins' and told me he'd be back in an hour to cleanup from my meal.

At the time, I didn't think anything about Andrew's comment regarding his return, and I didn't realize his timeline would soon become very important to me.

Once Andrew left, I walked over to the table set up directly outside of my tent, and began to make myself a plate filled with chicken, green beans with bacon and onions, corn on the cob, and homemade biscuits. I also poured myself a glass of sweet tea and I went ahead and cut myself a piece of the apple pie.

Once my plate was completely full, I sat back down and began digging into my dinner. However, after my first bite I looked up to find an envelope leaning against the glass vase that was holding a single red and a single white rose.

Before I even reached for the envelope, I understood the meaning of the roses. Gran was a true Southern woman and she always told me that any Southern woman worth her salt knew the meaning of flowers.

In this case, some people might believe the red rose symbolized love or that the white rose symbolized purity.

If one kind of rose was given without the other, then that would be very true.

However, when given together, the red and white rose meant something entirely different.

Unity.

A huge, genuine smile crossed my face as I thought about the symbolism of the flowers. It was perfect since it related not only to my new blood bond with Eric but also to the bond we were about to form as Maker and Child.

He really did have a deeper side to him that he never showed to anyone else, and now I was the one he trusted enough to share himself with.

I felt lucky and cherished. Two things I had never felt before in any measurable amount.

As I turned over the envelope to open it, I paused when I saw what I now knew to be Eric's elegant handwriting scrawled across the seal.

_Please open after you have enjoyed your dinner. ~E_

I had to make a conscious effort to freeze my muscles so that I didn't tear open the note out of curiosity, but my Gran always said 'curiosity killed the cat.' Therefore, I laid down the note and dug back into my dinner – albeit a little faster than usual.

When I had eaten enough to feed a small country and determined that I couldn't eat another bite, I took Eric's note with me into the tent and sat down on the couch. I quickly opened the envelope, pulled out the folded note, and read.

_Sookie – _

_I hope you have enjoyed your day being pampered and enjoying the beach and sun. _

_Andrew will be coming to cleanup from your meal at seven o'clock. The crew will be leaving the tent and everything else it contains for your use, but they will be leaving the island as soon as Andrew takes away the dishes. _

_If you are reading this note, then you have not yet decided to change your mind and walk away. Please understand that when the yacht leaves, you will no longer have that choice. If I know you, then you have spent most of the day avoiding any thoughts about your situation and the decision you have to make. So, consider all your options now. _

_If you are still hear at nightfall, I will assume that you rationally considered all your options and you have chosen to become vampire._

_I hope that you will stay, but be certain in your choice before your inevitable fear and panic set in, as sunset approaches and your human life nears an end. These emotions are normal reactions when facing the unknown. Therefore, my actions tonight will be based on the choice you made during the day, whilst you were more relaxed. _

_Finally, I believe you will understand the meaning of the roses that accompanied your dinner. _

_Do not underestimate the message they convey. If you stay, then we will be united in everything we do from this night forward. _

_Consider carefully, min milda krigare._

_~E_

The more I read of Eric's note, the faster my heartbeat raced.

I was running out of time.

I was about to die.

My throat felt thick and my breathing was rapid.

I was terrified.

I felt caged in and I needed to run.

But I didn't move.

I was frozen to my spot on the couch, continually reading the letter Eric had written me. Why did he do this? I was perfectly happy and content with my path just a few minutes ago. Why did he have to remind me that my human life was about to end?

I tried to slow down my breathing and my thoughts.

"Think Sookie." I mumbled to myself as I tried to calm down.

Nothing had changed really. I had already decided that I accepted this path – NO – that I _chose_ this path.

Why was I freaking out now?

Was it what Eric said in his note? Was this the normal reaction that anyone would have when faced with the unknown?

Seriously, being drained until your heart stops beating would freak anyone out right?

Even if they chose it.

Without realizing it, I had stood up and started pacing around the tent frantically, while holding the letter in my clinched fist. My thoughts were no longer based in the rational thought from earlier in the day. I was no longer thinking about how this was the best choice for me, or about how good Eric and Pam had been to me.

No, I was thinking about the fact that I would no longer breathe.

Or have a heartbeat.

Or feel the warmth of the sun on my skin.

I stopped pacing and looked at the burning orb hanging lower over the ocean.

Could I really do this?

"Ms. Stackhouse?"

I heard Andrew's voice behind me and I froze.

I was truly out of time.

And I wanted to run.

"Yes, Andrew." I said shakily without turning around.

"I'll be taking your dishes away now." He said politely. "I was told to ask you if you will be coming aboard for our trip back to the mainland."

Here it was.

The moment of truth.

Stay or Go

My head was spinning and my instincts were screaming at me to go running towards the yacht.

I was truly trying to stay with Eric and stand my ground, but I felt as if my entire being was revolting against my earlier decision and was willing me to walk away.

I turned to look at Andrew with tears in my eyes.

But what I saw were the roses.

"I'm staying."

The words left my mouth without any forethought and I felt a knot release in my stomach as I spoke them.

I hadn't run out of time. I had gained a partner for eternity.

This was my choice.

"Then we will be leaving momentarily." Andrew said with a nod. "It was a pleasure serving you today."

"Thank you for everything, Andrew." I managed to respond before he started walking back to the yacht.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I had decided on my path and it was final.

I opened my eyes and saw that the sun was getting even lower in the sky. It would be dark in the next hour.

Perhaps it was a little strange, but I decided not to watch the sunset. Tonight was about a new beginning and not about an ending. I had watched the sunrise and that was all I needed.

Feeling the weight of the last hour and the past few days, I realized I was tired. It may seem strange to sleep away your last hour of human life, but I decided it was what I wanted. Therefore, I crawled onto the couch and curled into a small ball.

As the fan blew a soft breeze over my body, I fell into a peaceful slumber while waiting on my Maker to rise.

I was ready to start my new life.

* * *

A/N: I've had this chapter in mind for several months. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Thank you for all your reviews and support. I'm so nervous about this chapter that I'm just going to let you get right to it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I only play in the playground that already exist.

* * *

_Previously: _

_I had decided on my path and it was final._

_I opened my eyes and saw that the sun was getting even lower in the sky. It would be dark in the next hour._

_Perhaps it was a little strange, but I decided not to watch the sunset. Tonight was about a new beginning and not about an ending. I had watched the sunrise and that was all I needed._

_Feeling the weight of the last hour and the past few days, I realized I was tired. It may seem strange to sleep away your last hour of human life, but I decided it was what I wanted. Therefore, I crawled onto the couch and curled into a small ball. _

_As the fan blew a soft breeze over my body, I fell into a peaceful slumber while waiting on my Maker to rise._

_I was ready to start my new life._

* * *

Before I opened my eyes, I felt something soft as rose petals caressing down my neck and across the cleavage that was on display, thanks to Pam's shopping skills.

"Mmmm" I hummed softly and arched my back,as another soft caress started on the inside of my ankle, and made its way upwards to the inside of my hip.

I hadn't even opened my eyes and I was already dripping with the anticipation of what may come next.

Soft, cool lips trailed a torturously slow path from my collarbone up to my ear before a gentle, but surprisingly emotional, voice whispered, "You are still here."

I didn't allow my traitorous thoughts to start questioning why he seemed surprised. Instead, I turned my head quickly and caught his lips with my own, as I twisted my fingers into his hair, hoping to hold him there.

There was no mistaking the foreign sense of shock I felt. It had to be Eric's surprise I was feeling through our new bond, because I knew exactly what I was doing.

I was going all in.

A few years ago, when I played poker with Jason, he told me that I didn't know when to take a good hand and risk it all. He said I would never win big if I didn't take a big risk. He also warned me that losing once wasn't a good enough reason not to try again.

Back then, I had told Jason I would rather leave the table with a little something rather than leave with my hands empty.

Now, however, I'd changed my mind.

I was going to listen to my irresponsible brother for once, and be greedy, because I wanted it all.

More importantly, I wanted it with Eric.

And this time I knew I was playing with a great hand.

Eric had been stern and sometimes controlling since the tribunal, but he had also been compassionate, caring, and empathetic. Additionally, he had made no secret of his interest in me sexually, but he had been patient and respectful as he gave me time and space.

Moreover, even though he hid his feelings from everyone else, I could feel what he was feeling now.

And he felt a lot of things very deeply.

For example, right now there was a lot of lust and happiness along with a little confusion. More importantly, however, was the overwhelming feeling of a deep seeded _longing._

With his feelings flowing through me and his mouth caressing mine as if we had been doing this dance for centuries, I suddenly heard his voice coming up from my memory.

"You will never have to be alone again."

I was now convinced that those words held as much meaning for him as they did for me. If I was tired of being alone after only twenty-six years, then how must Eric feel after over a thousand years?

But now he had me.

And I had him.

As I broke off our kiss so I could breathe, I finally opened my eyes to find Eric openly scrutinizing me.

"What?" I asked, confused by his questioning expression.

"Why did you stay?" He asked evenly.

I blinked only once before answering.

"Because this is what I want."

A genuine and wholly unguarded smile broke out across Eric's face, and I found myself warmed by it.

"You are not here out of obligation." His smile remained in place but I could feel his curiosity.

"No." I answered honestly. "You freed me of my obligations, and I could have walked away. This is a better choice for me."

His face fell slightly and his tone hardened. "You are still choosing based on the lack of options."

"No. I. Am. Not!" I said a little too forcefully as Eric moved back slightly to allow me to sit up. "I did what anyone would do when choices are laid before them. I thought through all the options and repercussions of each option. In the end, I decided that becoming vampire was best for me _and_ it was what I wanted."

Eric still didn't look satisfied with my answer. Of course, his reaction caused me to become aggravated. Therefore, I probably said more than I should have, especially if I didn't want to be punished.

"Stop it Eric Northman." I chastised him. "I have spent the last few days thinking nonstop about all of this and, as I relaxed on the beach today, I finally found peace with my decision and my new life. I _will not _allow you to mess with my head now!"

He actually chuckled a little. "You _won't allow me_?"

I rolled my eyes. "You know what I mean."

"I do." He answered thoughtfully, before regarding me for several minutes in silence.

When he finally seemed to reach some sort of conclusion, he nodded his head slightly, smiled again, and held out his hand as he spoke, "Then I accept your decision."

As I took his hand, he pulled me up quickly and crushed my body to his, as he laid the mother of all kisses on me. It was fast and passionate but then slow and sensual. It felt as if he was making love to me with his mouth, teeth, fangs, and tongue. I was in heaven, but as I was about to reach for Eric's shirt to take it off, he pulled away.

"Would you like to go swimming or have you had enough of the ocean today?" He asked with his arms still around my hips and back.

When I just looked at him in confusion, he seemed confused as well. "Why are you confused?"

I huffed. I couldn't help it because I was frustrated. Here I was – _finally _- ready to succumb to my attraction to Eric Northman and he was acting as if he were oblivious.

Well, maybe he was.

"Eric," I said softly as I let my hands flow over his chest and up into the tiny hairs on the back of his neck. "Why do you keep pulling away from me tonight?"

I was surprised when Eric sighed, but it didn't take long for me to stiffen in his arms.

He wasn't oblivious.

He just didn't want me.

"Stop it." He said gently when I looked away with the rejection I felt welling up inside of me.

Before I knew it, Eric was sitting back on the couch and I was sitting on his lap straddling his hips. He softly placed his hands on either side of my face and pulled it around so he could look into my eyes.

"You know how badly I want to ravage you. I want to fuck you until your legs don't function and your mind is filled with nothing but me." He said with a small thrust upward of his hips to let me _feel_ how much he wanted me. "But you have had a lot of my blood in the past three days and it will continue to influence your sexual desires until after you are changed. I have told you that I will not take advantage of my position in your life, and I will always keep my word to you."

I did nothing but stare at him.

He was holding back so that I wouldn't think he had lied to me, controlled me, or used me.

As if I needed another reason to trust him.

"Eric," I whispered. "This isn't about the magic in your blood."

_That_ I was sure of.

"There's no way for you to know, Sookie." Eric said softly as he traced the line of my jaw with a single finger.

"I do know." I whispered again as I leaned forward and kissed his jaw before leaning up to his ear. "Do you want to know how I know?"

"Yes." He answered in a slightly strained voice.

As I formulated my answer, I slowly trailed my hands down Eric's chest and towards the hem of his black T-shirt.

"Because this is about how you've protected me, taught me, and given me space to make my own decisions."

I pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it aside before I leaned down to kiss a slow path down his neck before speaking again.

"This is about how you had Pam get my Gran's recipes for my final meals, about how you took me to see the sun over the ocean, and about the symbolism behind the roses you gave me today."

As I spoke, I kissed my way down his chest, sliding off his lap to kneel before him, so I could remove his belt.

"This is about how you've held me when I've cried but also pushed me to be stronger when I felt too weak to move forward."

I leaned back away from Eric and placed my weight on my knees as I untied my bikini top with one pull and let it fall to the ground.

I felt insecure for the first time as I sat nearly naked before my Viking, but the insecurity went away when I was hit by a massive wave of awe and desire coming from the bond. My voice became huskier as I leaned back in between Eric's legs and kissed his chiseled abs while keeping my eyes locked with his.

"This is about how you've made me feel accepted for the first time in my life."

I stood up and removed my bikini bottoms before climbing back onto his lap and pressing my bare body against his cool chest for the first time.

I could feel his massive bulge in his pants and I could see his restraint in the hard set of his jaw and the clenched fists at his sides. However, I ignored it and leaned all of my weight against his chest as I laid my head on his shoulder and breathed against his neck.

"But mostly, this is about a new beginning and about how I want you to fuck me until _your_ legs don't function and _I'm_ the only thing that you are thinking about."

That was the end of the Viking's restraint as he flipped us over on the couch, and his tongue was on my center before I could blink.

I cried out at the suddenness of the movement, as well as how quickly he was pulling exotic sensations from my body, but my yell of surprise and victory quickly turned to moans of ecstasy.

If I had thought his mouth on mine was heaven, his mouth on my mound was beyond description. There were no words spoken as he licked, hummed, stroked, and sucked along my slit. We both held eye contact as my heart rate skyrocketed when one of his long, talented fingers entered me, and slowly stroked in and out with the rhythm of his tongue on my sensitive bundle of nerves.

I felt as if I would die from the pleasure, but I refused to let myself go over the top. Eric must have felt my self-control, because he seemed to double his efforts as he pushed in two more fingers and sucked hard on my center.

"ERIC!" I cried out as I tightened my abdominal and leg muscles in an attempt to withhold my peak.

"Let go, Lover." His voice was gravel and velvet all in one.

"No." I breathed out. "I want you inside me first."

After another thrust with his fingers and an intrusion with his tongue, he teasingly licked the inside of my thigh. "But I want to taste you."

"Taste me later!" I yelled as he thrust his fingers into me again. "Fuck me now!"

Damn. What was he doing to me? I've never been like this before.

Eric clucked his tongue at me twice before chastising me. "Language, Ms. Stackhouse." He pulled his fingers out of me and cleaned them with his tongue before continuing, "Now, ask nicely."

I sat up and pushed slightly on Eric's shoulder to get him to lie down on the blanket, which was spread across the ground in front of the couch. I reached down to undo his button and zipper on his jeans as I said, "Please Eric, I want to feel you inside me so I can pulse around you the first time I come."

"Damn woman!" He exclaimed as I thrust my hand down into his jeans and lightly squeezed his massive manhood. It was so thick I couldn't even close one of my small hands around him, and my stomach clenched in anticipation.

Again, Eric decided to take over, and I was on my back beneath him, and he was naked as he leaned over me. Before I could decide where I wanted to touch him first, he had taken my nipple in his mouth and my other breast in his hand. My back arched in appreciation, and I cried out into the night.

As Eric released one of my breasts, I used the leverage from one of my bent legs to turn us back over, and I quickly made my way down Eric's body before he could reposition us again.

"My turn to taste you." I said right before I took him in my hand and ran my tongue up it from the base to the tip.

"Fuck Sookie." Eric cried out as I took him into my mouth as deeply as I could, and he twisted his fingers into my hair. "Gudar, gör det igen."

I took it as a good sign that he wasn't speaking English anymore.

Therefore, I continued to suck, lick, and hum around his manhood. After a couple of minutes enjoying his taste, I felt a large jolt of lust overpower me when I looked into Eric's eyes, and slowly licked the accumulated pearl off of his tip.

He pulled me up his body then and kissed me senseless before warning me, "I love this side of you, but be careful of how far you push a vampire, Lover."

"It must be the island." I teased. "Or maybe you." I licked his ear. "Because I've never been like this before."

I had inched my hand around Eric's erection and I distinctly felt it jump in my hand when I admitted that this new sex kitten side of Sookie Stackhouse was just now making its first appearance.

It was true though. Besides a couple of passionate missionary moments _before_, I had never felt this free during sex. It was invigorating.

"I need to be inside you." Eric's husky voice brought me out of my thoughts and I moaned loudly in response to his words.

"Please."

Eric slowly turned us back over as he once more hovered above me. I reached up and pulled his head down to mine so I could taste his lips once more.

As I felt him brush slightly against my entrance, I moaned against his lips and he whispered against mine.

"Are you ready for me, lover?"

"God YES." I half moaned and half yelled.

"Then look at me."

As soon as our eyes connected, I felt Eric push into me to the hilt and we both yelled out at the sensation. We stilled our bodies in the next moment as our eyes continued to hold one another. Eric slowly leaned down and kissed me and I felt our bond explode.

It was so much deeper and stronger than before. I felt overwhelmed and overcome by it as Eric slowly started to move in and out of me.

"Breathe, Lover." Eric whispered as he kissed my neck and then nibbled on my ear lobe. "The bond is growing stronger. Do not be afraid."

As Eric slowly moved his hips, I took a deep breath and moved my hips in response. I looked up at him and was again breathless, taking in the depth of his eyes and the emotions shining through them, as well as pulsing in our bond. If I thought I could feel his emotions before, then this was like a bond on steroids.

He felt _so _much so very deeply.

"Do not cry, min milda krigare." Eric whispered as he licked the tears that had unknowingly escaped my eyes.

I didn't know what to say to him that could possibly convey how I felt about being so close to him in that very moment. The only words that came to mind were "Thank you."

Again, I was rewarded with a beautiful smile that I was beginning to call _my_ smile in my mind.

"Don't thank me yet, Lover." He teased as he reached down to rub circles along my slit and increased the speed of his hips.

"Damn." I arched my back again, trying to get more contact, as I felt myself getting closer and closer to the golden edge.

Eric continued his, now relentless, pace while he leaned down to take my nipple in his mouth. Right when I felt like I couldn't hold back any longer, I felt Eric's fangs pierce my breast and I yelled out my release as Eric threw his head back and roared with his own moment.

As I gasped for air and tried to calm my heartbeat, Eric dropped his head down on my chest and licked my wounds, careful not to put too much of his weight on me.

"That was . . . " I paused searching for the right word.

"The best I've ever had." Eric finished bluntly.

To which I immediately said, "Bullshit."

And he laughed.

So I slapped his arm.

And he laughed harder.

So I joined him.

After a few minutes of laughing, Eric separated from me and I groaned with the loss of contact. However, it didn't last long as Eric grabbed a clean blanket from the side table and picked me up to walk towards the water's edge.

"What are you up to?" I asked.

"Moving us closer to the water." He said as he sat me down so that he could lie out the blanket. "It is very soothing."

Wondering why he needed to be soothed after what just happened, I quickly realized he was trying to soothe me and prepare me for what was to come.

"Thank you."

I was really saying that a lot tonight.

"I was wondering if you were going to say that again." He said with a mischievous wink.

I pulled him down to the blanket and spent the next couple of hours thanking him over and over again.

After hours of making sure we were both tired and lost only in our thoughts of each other and our pleasure, we finally came up for air as I laid on my side facing the ocean and Eric spooned in behind me. The night was warm but comfortable and the full moon was bright in a clear sky.

"Sookie." His tone was soft but full of meaning.

It was time.

"Can we stay here?" I asked softly. "I feel so relaxed."

"We can stay here if you like." He answered with a kiss to my shoulder. "There are many things I wish we had time to discuss but we will have to wait until you rise. Know now that I will never lie to you. There may be times I cannot tell you everything, but I will never lie nor hurt you."

"I know, Eric." Saying his name made me think of one question I had for him. "Umm. I do have one easy question for you."

"Go ahead."

"Do I still get to call you Eric or do I have to call you Master?" I asked timidly.

And he laughed again.

"Of all the questions you could ask, _you_ would ask that one."

I had to laugh with him. When it came down to it, what I called him was a really small detail.

Before I could say anything else, Eric spoke again, "You do not have to call me Master. It's a part of being my bonded that you wouldn't have to call me Master. However, there may be certain moments that I may _like _to hear that word from your lips."

He punctuated his words with a thrust of his hips into my backside and I couldn't help but moan in response.

"Not fair." I mumbled under my breath and we both laughed again.

After a couple of more moments, Eric spoke again and he was back to business. "Pam will be here to get us in a little while. She will escort our coffin back to Louisiana and bury us in the dirt in a safe place. I want to be in my territory when you rise."

I only nodded. It was really time and this was really happening.

I felt a small amount of panic start to boil to the surface before a large blast of calm came from Eric.

"Thank you – _again._" I smiled over my shoulder at him.

"You don't have to thank me for taking care of you." He kissed me softly on the lips before I turned back to look at the ocean.

"The turning will not be painful, Lover." He said so softly in my ear that it almost felt like the wind was speaking to me. "It is not as traumatic as drowning, where you feel like you can't breathe. Instead, it is more like feeling heavy and tired, before finally falling asleep."

I nodded and took a deep breath as Eric brushed my hair away from my neck and kissed it.

"I will be with you when you wake and for every night that follows, my Lover."

And those were the last words I heard with human ears.

* * *

A/N: Huge thanks to my beta, Northman Maille. Also, I've been asked a few times if the story will continue past this chapter and the answer is yes.

I thought this chapter would be a lot longer but this felt more natural and honest. I know everyone has been waiting for this chapter so I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: I have the best readers and I cherish each of your reviews. Sorry this took so long. I hope it was worth the wait.

A big, warm hug for my beta, Northman Maille. She keeps me sane and grammatically correct.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I just play with their universe.

* * *

_Previously: _

_I felt a small amount of panic start to boil to the surface before a large blast of calm came from Eric. _

"_Thank you – again." I smiled over my shoulder at him._

"_You don't have to thank me for taking care of you." He kissed me softly on the lips before I turned back to look at the ocean._

"_The turning will not be painful, Lover." He said so softly in my ear that it almost felt like the wind was speaking to me. "It is not as traumatic as drowning, where you feel like you can't breathe. Instead, it is more like feeling heavy and tired, before finally falling asleep."_

_I nodded and took a deep breath as Eric brushed my hair away from my neck and kissed it. _

"_I will be with you when you wake and for every night that follows, my Lover."_

_And those were the last words I heard with human ears._

* * *

My eyes opened and I immediately felt as if my brain was on overload. Everything seemed to invade my thoughts and senses at once.

The stars.

They were brighter and seemed closer than before.

Fitting that I should see them first since they were the last things I remembered seeing before I died my first death.

My death.

I recalled the peacefulness of it. I remembered Eric holding me tightly in his arms, and I felt a foreign since of calm fighting against my body's panicked reaction as he drained me of my blood. I didn't struggle and I wasn't in pain. I simply watched the stars as he petted my side and back and worked at my throat. I vaguely remember something cold in my mouth and a hand massaging my throat. Mostly, however, I remembered the stars.

Grass and dirt.

The smell of the earth was heavy around me. I could feel cool earth against my back, and I could smell freshly turned dirt nearby.

Hmm. My grave perhaps.

Bugs and animals.

I could hear tiny movements all around me. I sincerely hoped they weren't on me but then I realized I would have felt them if they were.

My blood.

I could feel a recognition in my body that somehow told me someone who shared my blood was not too far away. They were not close by, but they were in the same city. Maybe ten miles away. I don't know how I understood what the sensation meant or how close they were, but somehow my mind told me what I needed to know.

My Maker.

In addition to the feel of my blood being nearby, I distinctly felt the presence of my Maker. Without looking away from the stars, I could tell he was standing within five feet of where I was still lying on the ground. I could also feel his pride, anxiousness, happiness, and determination.

A Void.

A wonderfully silent void. My telepathy was intact and vampires were still silent.

I mentally sent a quick prayer of thanks to God for the continuing silence of vampires.

Fangs.

I felt them throbbing in my mouth as they ached for something to bite. They were long, sleek, and it felt orgasmic to run my tongue over them.

I couldn't wait to see them.

Thirst.

Overpowering and threatening to overtake all other thoughts and feelings was my thirst. My stomach wasn't grumbling as it would in hunger. Instead, it felt hollow and painful. My mouth felt dry and uncomfortable. I _needed_ blood and I would do just about anything to get it.

But more powerful than all these thoughts, and even my thirst, was the feeling that the world was spinning as all these things ran through my head at once. I couldn't have even blinked my human eyes in the amount of time that had passed since I regained awareness, and all these thoughts had invaded my mind.

"Good evening, Lover."

I bolted upright and stood facing my Maker as soon as the words reached my ears.

Somehow, he seemed even sexier than the last time I had seen him. His eyes were a clearer blue than the water surrounding Godric's island. His skin was pale and looked silky smooth underneath the thin layer of dirt that still covered him. His wonderful, powerful, and muscular chest was bare.

I tackled him to the ground and he laughed as he placed his arms on my shoulders to keep me from biting or kissing him. I couldn't decide which one I wanted to do more as I gyrated my hips against him.

"You are thirsty." He stated without question and I nodded in response as I tried not to focus on his throat. "You will be disoriented and have trouble controlling your thoughts and actions until you drink some blood."

"Okay." I said absentmindedly as I continued to push back against the hands that were holding me away from my goal.

Biting.

I definitely wanted to bite him.

"Sookie."

_The_ tone.

It was the commanding tone of his voice that got my attention and stopped my would-be failure of an assault on my Maker.

Instead, I cocked my head to the side to look at him.

"Yes?"

"There is blood in the cooler for you." He answered coolly.

I was off him in a flash and spotted the cooler sitting beside him on the ground. I literally ripped off the lid as I reached inside to find bags of blood waiting for me.

I flopped down on the ground and sat with one leg crossed over the other while I sucked through the first of four bags of blood.

Smooth and sweet.

Not metallic at all.

It tasted like heaven even though I was sure it would taste better if it were warm, but it was my third bag before that thought even occurred to me.

When I finished with my last available bag of blood, I looked up to see Eric smirking at me. "Feel better?"

I took a deep, unneeded breath and thought about his question.

My stomach no longer felt hollow and my mouth felt fine. My fangs had stopped throbbing and had retracted. I no longer felt like a million things were flying through my mind at once.

"Yes." I finally answered. "I feel better."

He nodded.

"Is that feeling normal?" I asked. "Will I always feel so . . . flighty . . . I guess, when I'm thirsty?"

"No." Eric answered as he motioned for me to stand and walk with him. "We only become disoriented or overwhelmed if we are starving. For you, if you don't feed for a day, then you would feel that way. For me, I can go for a month without feeding before feeling like that."

I huffed. "How long before I can go longer?"

He laughed. "You are never satisfied, Lover."

We walked out of the woods and into a clearing that I recognized as being behind Eric's – I mean, _our_ – home. The house was still dark but a motion sensor light clicked on as we approached the sliding glass door in back. The light shocked my more sensitive eyesight for a moment. Once the momentary adjustment passed, I noticed Eric entering the security codes to open the door. Then, he gently took my hand and led me into the house.

We didn't turn any lights on.

We didn't need them.

It was strange being able to see in the dark so clearly. Everything looked the same, but different. For example, red was still red but it was a little duller. It didn't 'pop' like it normally would with light reflecting off it.

While I had been considering the merits of night vision, Eric had been leading us to the bathroom.

I suppose that we _were_ filthy.

Three nights in the ground would do that to a person – vampire – whatever.

As Eric silently turned to the shower to adjust the water temperature, I found myself becoming inexplicably shy at the thought of showering with him and I began looking everywhere but at Eric.

He wasn't having any of that.

Eric's hand gently cupped my chin and pulled it around to face him. He was wearing his trademark smirk. "Only you." He laughed slightly.

"What?"

"Only you would still be shy after everything we've done to each other's bodies." He grabbed my hands and tugged ever so slightly to lead me into the shower. "If you were still human, you would be blushing."

'_If_ I were still human'

I froze . . .

For two seconds . . .

Before I lost it.

Bloody tears began falling from my eyes and my shoulders were shaking with my sobs.

Knowing something is going to happen and actually experiencing it where two completely different things.

I was no longer human.

I was dead.

I would never see the sun again.

Eric pulled me gently into the shower and into his strong, protective arms while he guided us under the warm spray.

"Do not hold back." He said reassuringly. "You must grieve for what you have lost."

I nodded against his shoulder and continued to let the tears fall while he removed my dirt-covered clothing. I'm not sure where those clothes had come from since I was naked when I . . . died.

I started to sob harder.

And Eric continued to remove my clothing as well as his own.

As I grieved and allowed everything I'd lost to run through my mind, I also became aware of how lost I would be without the care of my Maker.

He discarded all of our clothing before gently guiding my head back underneath the water stream to wet my hair. Then, he slowly reached for the shampoo as if he were worried any sudden movement would startle me.

Once he had emptied some of the shampoo into his hands, I closed my eyes to enjoy the sensation while he leisurely lathered my hair and massaged my scalp. When he finished with the shampoo, he put a finger under my chin to guide my head to tilt backwards under the spray as he rinsed the soap away.

I kept my eyes closed and tilted my head back further to allow the water to wash away my bloody tears.

I was stronger than this.

As I straightened my body, I took a deep breath I realized I no longer needed and looked into Eric's eyes. They were softer than I'd ever seen them and they held a promise of care, protection, and home.

I leaned forward slowly and kissed him softly. There was no passion in my kiss. Instead, it was full of acceptance, gratitude, and affection.

When I pulled away from his lips, Eric lifted his own lips to my forehead to place a soft kiss there before gently nudging me so that I would turn around. When his soap-covered, cool hands tenderly caressed my shoulders and kneaded my muscles, I closed my eyes to enjoy the sensation of his hands on my body. My skin seemed more sensitive to touch than it had been before, and I reveled in the way my body seemed ready to receive the greatest pleasure from the gentlest of his touches.

When a gentle moan escaped my mouth and my fangs clicked softly into place, I felt the first tinges of lust cross through our bond. I had been impressed by how much restraint Eric had while bathing me, but I was happy that he seemed to be losing the battle now because I was sending my lust right back to him.

I could sense Eric's increasing arousal through our bond and against my back, as he continued massaging my shoulders, before slowly working his hands down my back and onto my hips. Not wanting him to stop, I leaned my full body back into his. He took the hint easily and his hands began their journey anew, as they worked their way up my stomach, and teased along the underside of my breasts.

With the first touch of his cool hands on my nipples, I was lost.

Slow, sensual, and emotional took a backseat to fast, hard, and horny.

I turned around quickly and pulled Eric underneath the spray of the water with me, as I jumped up to wrap my arms and legs around him and attach myself to his mouth.

He answered my need with his own as he pushed my back against the shower wall and entered me with a possessing force – both physical and emotional - that made me immediately scream out in ecstasy. My scream was quickly muted, however, by Eric's tongue entering my mouth and skillfully caressing mine with a delicious rhythm that made me remember how much I enjoyed his tongue in other places.

Inadvertently, I sliced my tongue on my new fangs as he pounded into me with vampire speed and Eric growled loudly at my taste as he meticulously stroked my tongue to clean it of all remnants of my blood. The taste of my own blood and the sound of his response made me want his blood. However, I didn't want to scratch his tongue. I wanted to bite him.

I pulled away from his mouth and kissed my way down to his shoulder and back up to his ear.

"Please." I begged breathlessly while I rubbed my fangs against his neck.

"My blood is yours, Lover." He said hoarsely.

I bit before any other thought or feeling could stop me and I came immediately from the feeling of my fangs _finally_ entering flesh. The feeling of my new appendages encased in flesh and blood was indescribable and the first draw of Eric's blood had me exploding again.

The taste of his blood was different somehow now that I was a vampire. His blood was pure power and sexuality. It was slightly salty but also sweet. There was a tang to it that let me know that it wasn't human, but it was much better than the blood Eric had given me from the cooler earlier.

I was in heaven.

And then I felt Eric's fangs enter my neck.

I came harder, deeper, and longer than I had ever orgasmed in my life, and I brought Eric along with me as we both drew back from each other's neck to yell our rapture.

I rested my head against the wall behind me and panted out of habit. When I had finally regained my senses, I asked. "Is it always like that?"

He smirked. "Which part?"

I ignored his ego and explained my question. "The biting. . . the sex. . . everything."

He kissed me lazily while he set my feet back on the ground and pulled out of my body. When we were both back under the water, he answered thoughtfully.

"No. It's never been like that for me before. I believe it is because we are bonded."

"Then I love our bond." I said confidently without a second thought.

He laughed louder and harder than I'd ever seen him before.

I would have most definitely blushed if I could have done so.

Suddenly, my senses seemed to tighten and scream at me that something was amiss.

Eric stroked my hair as I hissed. "Do not worry. It is only Pam waiting for us downstairs." He paused before asking, "Can you feel the blood you share with her?"

As soon as he asked the question, I found myself nodding in response. It must have been Pam I felt when I first rose, but I still didn't understand how I was able to know we shared blood.

"When I first rose, I felt that someone, besides you, that I shared blood with was a few miles away, but I don't understand _how_ I knew that."

"Instinct." He answered as he began washing himself. "There will be many things that you know or do based on instinct. For now, until you've learned more, you will follow your instincts unless I tell you otherwise."

I nodded in agreement while I considered his words and watched him bathe. It felt strange to think that my body now had a new set of skills that didn't require any conscious thought, but at the same time I had to acknowledge that humans worked the same way. We were born knowing we needed to breathe and how to suckle for milk.

Not the same as knowing you share bodily fluids with someone nearby or dropping your fangs every time something is arousing . . .

But it's something I guess.

As Eric shut off the water and handed me a towel, we exited the bathroom and entered the bedroom that I had been too distracted to notice when we entered the bathroom. It was dark and decorated in a masculine way. The bedroom was huge and the largest bed I'd ever seen took up over a third of it. The rest of the room was filled with standard bedroom furniture. There was a chest of drawers, a dresser, a small desk and chair, and two nightstands. The linens in the room were a dark red and gold that looked perfect against the tan of the walls.

"Pam is here to give me an update from the last three nights." Eric's words interrupted my inspection of his bedroom. "We need to get dressed and you need to drink again."

"I don't have any clothes in here." I said absentmindedly before thinking over his words. "I need to drink again already?"

"You are a newborn and will have to drink regularly to keep your urges under control and to keep from being 'flighty' as you called it." Eric answered while he entered his closet to get dressed. "Also, I had Pam move your clothes here, they are in the dresser and closet."

"Excuse me?" How dare he be so presumptuous as to move my things into his bedroom?

Eric stepped out of the closet and stared down at me with a stern face. "Do not use that tone with me, _child_."

"You moved my stuff in here without even asking me if I minded staying in your room!" I almost yelled but dialed back my tone to be slightly less than yelling.

Eric was towering over me in a flash. "I do not need your permission for anything. You are my child and I am your Maker. I do not owe you any explanations unless I choose to give them to you. If I want you to stay in this room, then you _will_ do so."

Before my brain could stop my body, I pulled my hand back to slap him.

Of course I wasn't fast enough to hit him before he was able to grab my wrist, spin me around and plant me face down on the ground with my arm twisted behind me.

"How DARE you try to hit me?" He hissed at me and I felt his anger through our bond.

However, my mouth seemed to have run away along with my body, which had gone in the opposite direction of my brain. So, I replied. "How dare _you_ treat me like this?"

He leaned down to growl into my ear as he tightened his hand around my wrists. "I am your Maker. I could end you tonight and _no one _would say another word to me about it. You are _mine _to do with as I please_._ Accept it."

I started crying again as the anger flooded out of me and was replaced by despair. He was right. I was no longer my own person. He had complete control over me.

As my emotions changed, Eric let go of me and walked out of the room. His dismissal of my emotions and me made me sob even louder as I curled up into a ball on the floor.

A moment later, I was being lifted and my mouth was being filled with blood again. I drank as greedily as a newborn baby at its mother's breast, as Eric cradled me in his arms and held the first bag of blood to my lips.

When I was done with the second bag, he handed me a third. "Are you calm enough to hold the next bag of blood?"

I nodded in response and took the third and fourth bags quickly and, as the blood seeped into my body, I felt myself calming down and feeling ashamed of my actions.

Before I could speak, Eric took my chin in his hand and stared into my eyes. "This was your first lesson. Do you know what it was?"

I stared at him for a minute before I answered. "I shouldn't allow myself to get thirsty because I don't think straight."

"Correct." He said as he stood up and went to the bathroom to get a washcloth to clean the bloody tears from my face.

When he returned, he carefully washed my face while continuing my lesson. "Thirst is the biggest enemy of newborns. When they are thirsty, they make mistakes that cost them their undead lives. I will not have this happen to you."

I nodded before asking, "You made me mad on purpose didn't you?"

He smirked ruefully. "Yes. When you questioned me about drinking again I saw the opportunity to teach you. I knew you would overreact anyway, but it was worse because you were thirsty."

"I'm sorry I tried to hit you." I said softly.

"Sookie." His tone was hard again as I looked up at him. "If you ever try to hit me again when we are not training, then I _will_ punish you. Even if you are thirsty, you must learn to control your outbursts."

I gulped unnecessarily as I nodded.

"Now, go get dressed and we will go meet with Pam."

I immediately went to the dresser to find my undergarments but instead was met with lacy thongs that were not my style.

"Eric? These are not my things." I tried to make the statement as neutral as possible.

He sighed. "Then I would guess that Pam used the last three days to shop."

I huffed but decided not to comment since I didn't want a repeat of the last five minutes. I grabbed a black silk thong and a matching black bra before speeding into the closet.

I found more of the same problem in the closet. Nothing was mine.

Apparently feeling my irritation, Eric called to me from the bedroom, "You can discuss it with her once you are dressed."

Agreeing with his assessment, I found a pair of jeans with a tag still on them that read two hundred dollars, and a red wrap sleeveless top with a deep v-neck priced at a hundred and twenty nine dollars.

I really wanted to strangle Pam, but then realized it wouldn't even bother her.

I decided I didn't need shoes if we were just going downstairs so I skipped the massive shoe section Pam had dedicated to me and I walked out to join Eric.

His fangs clicked down. Hmmm. I suppose he likes Pam's taste in clothing.

"See something you like?" I asked as I slowly turned around for him, but was stopped mid-turn when he came up behind me to place his arms around me, and his lips touched my neck.

"You are magnificent."

I leaned back into him and tilted my head back to kiss him, but we were interrupted by the sound of my cell phone ringing.

Odd.

I simply looked at Eric since I didn't know who would be trying to call me and he had ordered me not to turn it on before I was turned. However, he nodded for me to answer it so I followed the sound to find my cell phone charging on the nightstand closest to the wall.

When I looked at the caller ID, I smiled.

It was Jason.

"Hi big brother." I laughed into the phone. I don't know why I laughed, but for some reason it seemed funny to call him big brother now that I was a vampire.

"Sookie!" He practically yelped in response. "I didn't think you'd answer. How are you? Are you a vamp now?"

"I am and I'm great." I answered truthfully. I'd had a few rough moments so far but I was feeling good about everything overall.

"Well, good." He said quickly before getting down to business. "Listen, I've tried calling Pam but she's not answering and I got somethin' I think ya'll need to know."

"Oh. Okay." I said and I was about to ask him what was going on but Eric reached his hand out for the phone. "Eric's here with me. I'll let you talk to him."

"Alright."

"Stackhouse? What is it?" Eric said bluntly.

"Bill's back." I heard Jason speak the words and my undead heart clinched in hurt, anger, and fear. "He showed up at Merlotte's and was askin' if we knew anything about Sook. Sam kicked him out but he's still lurkin' around."

"Let me know if you notice anything else. I especially want to know if he is seen with anyone else." Eric ordered him and I felt his determination, but I didn't sense any surprise.

Wasn't Bill supposed to be in a coffin tied with silver?

"I can do that. Say, when can I see my sister?"

"When I am sure she will not drain you." Eric said bluntly and I winced.

"Uh . . . I . . . okay then." Jason stuttered out slowly.

I looked at Eric with pleading eyes and he added, "But she will call you soon" before he hung up.

"Why is Bill out of the coffin? Why don't you seemed surprised? What does he want?" I fired the questions in rapid succession before Eric could cut me off.

"Calm down." He said as he kissed me on the forehead and took my hand. "I will answer all your questions but I would rather we go down to meet Pam first. She has been waiting impatiently and I don't want to have to repeat myself."

I nodded in response and we made our way up the steps to the living room where Pam was waiting in one of the chairs.

"It's about time." She huffed indignantly before looking at me and adding. "I knew those jeans would look great on you."

"I could look just as good in twenty dollar jeans." I snipped back.

"Don't be ridiculous. Those jeans are fabulous." She smirked. "Besides, shouldn't a Southern Belle say thank you for a gift?"

I narrowed my eyes at her and then turned to look at Eric. "Thank you Eric for my new clothes and shoes. I'm sure Pam spent too much but they are beautiful."

I felt Eric's amusement through our bond just as I could see Pam's annoyance and I couldn't help but laugh. However, playtime must have been over because Eric was ready to talk business.

"Pam. Jason Stackhouse called to inform Sookie that Compton has been seen in Bon Temps asking about her. Have you seen him?"

"Yes, Eric." She said seriously. "He has been at Fangtasia every night since you left. I believe he is hoping to find Sookie there."

"I don't understand why he would be looking for me." I interjected. "He knows that I'm Eric's child and that I know about his lies. What could he possibly want? And why is he even out of the silver coffin?"

"I received a letter from the Queen before we left stating that his Maker, Lorena, has exercised her right to take her child's place in his punishment."

I could only stare at Eric. I had forgotten about the sealed letter the lawyer had delivered to Eric before we left.

"Why would she do that?" I asked because it was the first question that came to mind.

"If it were someone different, then I would believe they were taking responsibility for their child's conduct. However, Lorena is not the responsible type." Eric stated as he paced slightly around the room. "I believe the Queen summoned her to take Bill's place because she has some use for him."

"Me?" I asked cautiously, but I didn't need to hear the response.

Bill Compton had already become the bane of my existence.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry this one took so long. I had a little anxiety about getting it just right and it caused a writer's block. I hope it was worth the wait. Please review.

By the way, I have set up a Wordpress website if you are interested in following me there. I usually post there first. http:/myuniverse424(dot)wordpress(dot)com/


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Please forgive my extended absence. Real life has been kicking me hard lately and I had a massive writer's block. Huge thank you to my beta, Northman Maille, for helping me through it and for all her hard work. I've already started the next chapter so it won't be as long of a wait.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I just play with the toys.

* * *

_Previously: _

_"If it were someone different, then I would believe they were taking responsibility for their child's conduct. However, Lorena is not the responsible type." Eric stated as he paced slightly around the room. "I believe the Queen summoned her to take Bill's place because she has some use for him."_

_"Me?" I asked cautiously, but I didn't need to hear the response._

_Bill Compton had already become the bane of my existence._

* * *

As if lying to me for weeks and taking my virginity under false pretenses were not enough, Bill Compton _now _has decided to stalk me through my new undead existence! Oh, and he's probably doing it because his Queen has ordered him to do so. I swear if I see him I may . . .

"Oh." I muttered in surprise as my fangs suddenly clicked down into my mouth.

"A little angry?" Pam taunted.

"Piss off!" I hissed at her and immediately my hands came up to cover my mouth.

Did I just tell Pam to _piss off?_

What the hell was wrong with me?

Laughter. I abruptly realized Pam was laughing at me.

And I growled at her.

Damn it. Now, she was laughing harder.

And I was getting angrier.

"Sookie." Eric's stern voice drew my attention away from Pam and I looked into his eyes. "Remember, you are a newborn. Your emotions will change rapidly and you will be very quick to anger. Try to control yourself or I will do it for you."

"You said I would still be myself." I argued with a slight lisp, due to my new fangs. "I would never tell someone to . . .well . . . I would never say _that._"

"Be honest." He smirked. "You had a temper as a human. Now, you simply have to relearn control of your temper."

Okay. I couldn't lie and say I didn't have a temper. I used to have some crazy fights with Jason when we were little, and when I was a teenager. It wasn't until I was in my early twenties that I really started to calm down and stop saying the first thing that came to mind.

I closed my eyes and sighed in resignation before I realized that I didn't need to breathe and sighing was really unnecessary. Then I wondered how long I would do things like breathing and sighing. In other words, I wondered how long I would keep doing things that were decidedly human mannerisms. Then I found myself wondering when I'd stop getting side tracked so easily. _Then_ I got frustrated because I was . . .

Blood.

I needed blood again so I could think straight.

Rather than becoming annoyed that I needed blood again so soon, and possibly having a repeat of the episode I had with Eric earlier, I silently made my way into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of blood from the refrigerator. However, when I turned around, Eric took the bottle from my hand and replaced it with an already full glass.

I looked at him with some confusion while drinking obediently. It tasted like the bags of blood he'd provided me with earlier, so why was he taking the TruBlood away now?

Obviously sensing my confusion, Eric offered an explanation. "You need human blood tonight. No synthetic."

I opened my mouth to question where it came from but he beat me to it. "It was donated. The donor lives."

"Will I need this much blood for very long? I've been feeding every hour and I'm sick of feeling like I can't put two thoughts together for longer than five minutes."

"Tomorrow will be better." He answered soothingly. "The first night your body needs to build up its energy stores. When you rise next evening, you will require less blood and your thoughts will be more stable. However, you will still need to feed every couple of hours for a while, in order to prevent any accidents."

I shivered at the word _accidents_ as I rinsed my empty glass in the sink and Pam joined us in the kitchen.

"Thank you for the laugh little sister." She smirked. "I haven't laughed that hard in decades. Having you around will be very entertaining."

I focused intently on calming myself for a moment before responding, and was surprised when my fangs suddenly retreated. Taking that as a good sign, I smiled at Pam. "I'm so happy I could help remove the stake from your ass, Big Sister."

Pam's smile quickly left her face and her eyes gained a mischievous glint. "Master, what are my instructions in regards to Mr. _Compton?_"

Tingling. My mouth started tingling intensely, and I felt my fangs starting to descend with the mere mention of the bastard's name.

And Pam raised an eyebrow in my direction.

I closed my eyes, and tried to ignore her instigating ways, as I focused my entire being on keeping my fangs hidden. I wasn't really sure how to control them yet but I was trying to follow my instincts, and simply use calm to control them.

Meadows. Gran. The Lake. Birds flying in the sky.

I was feeling calmer by the second.

Until.

"You may tell Compton that Sookie and I will be at Fangtasia tomorrow night." Eric answered evenly.

There was no controlling my fangs with those words.

"What? Why?" I screeched at him.

Instantly I knew my response was a mistake.

With my vampire eyes, I clearly saw Eric's posture stiffen right before he sped towards me, from six feet away.

Instinct took over as I ducked to avoid his oncoming hand, which was aimed at grasping my throat. I spun around to try to avoid his other arm, but he wrapped both arms around me. He then pulled my back against his chest, effectively pinning my arms to my sides.

His voice was low and dangerous as he softly whispered in my ear. "What have I told you about yelling at me?"

I felt an unmistakable surge of mutual lust at our close proximity, but I also felt a slight fear that was all my own.

"That I would be punished for disrespecting you."

"Correct." He answered huskily before turning his head to Pam. "We will see you tomorrow night."

With those words, she was gone and Eric swiftly moved us back into the living room where he maneuvered me to a spot laying across his lap with my butt resting under his hand.

I squeezed my eyes closed willing myself not to yell out or cry as I awaited my punishment.

"Your first punishment," Eric started as he caressed my ass, "is live donors for a week."

I spun so quickly I ended up on the floor on my butt, looking up at Eric. His eyebrow was raised at me and I was about to yell at him when I realized his eyebrow was a challenge.

I _had_ to stop yelling.

But I **really** wanted to scream.

Instead, I clinched my jaw and nodded.

Eric instantly reached down and pulled me back into his lap and kissed me deeply. When he pulled away after a moment, he smiled. "You are doing very well."

"I don't feel like I'm doing well." I grumbled.

"Of course not. You have nothing to compare it to. However, I have seen hundreds of newborns over my many years, and you are very controlled."

I smiled begrudgingly. "Do I get a reward?"

"What would you like?" He asked as his hand moved up my thigh.

Mmmm. That was a thought, but I had a different idea.

"I . . ."

Before I could say anything, Eric placed a finger over my mouth and shushed me. "Changing your punishment is not an option."

I huffed and turned my head away.

Of course he laughed.

Suddenly I felt a large amount of pride swelling in my chest and I looked back at Eric. "Am I really doing well?"

"Very well." He answered as he kissed me on the temple and placed my feet on the ground as he stood up. "Now, I want to do a couple of tests. Follow me."

I followed behind Eric as he led me to the backyard and stopped about twenty feet from the back door.

"First, do you still have your telepathy?"

I was shocked. I'd risen hours ago and I just realized he hadn't even asked me yet about my curse.

"Why are you feeling so surprised? Have you lost it?" He asked.

"No. Umm. I don't think so. You still feel like a void to me." I answered. "I'm just surprised it took us so long to talk about it. I thought you would want to know immediately."

"There were more important things to attend to." He shrugged. "Now, scan the area and make sure there is no one nearby."

I lowered my shields and was shocked at how much easier the process was than when I was human. I hadn't even realized I had raised my shields earlier. Pushing those thoughts away to examine later, I listened with my telepathy. I didn't find anyone near the house or in the surrounding woods, and I reported this to Eric.

"Excellent." He nodded. "I want to try to see if you have any special skills now that you are vampire."

I nodded and felt myself getting excited. Having a 'special skill' could be fun.

"Don't get too excited yet." He warned. "You may not have one or we may not be able to determine it tonight. However, the Magister will ask when we meet with him in two night's time, and I want to be able to answer truthfully that we completed some tests."

"I understand."

"Some of the most common skills are related to extremely heightened senses. I do not believe you have any of these skills because you haven't complained yet."

"Why would I complain?" I was confused.

"Newborns regularly have complaints about adjusting to the volumes of speech or indoor lights. Imagine having keener eyesight or a heightened ability to hear more than you can now. Those with special skills in these areas have trouble having normal conversation, or going into a home with lights on during their first night."

"Okay. I've noticed I can hear, see, and smell better than I could, but it's not unbearable."

Eric nodded before continuing. "The next most common skill is one inherited from your Maker."

"Ooohh. I might be able to fly." I said excitedly.

Eric couldn't hide the slight grin that graced his face before he hid it away. "As I said, it's the next most probable skill for you to develop. However, Pam did not inherit the ability."

"Well, how do I try? How do you do it?"

"It's rather hard to explain, but I want you to close your eyes and focus on feeling weightless. Then you will need to push off slightly from the ground as if you were going to jump. However, when you leave the ground, I want you to think about hovering by concentrating on the feel of the night air on your skin."

I had closed my eyes as soon as he mentioned it so I followed his words closely and imagined myself buoyed on the night air. I bent my knees slightly and pushed off. . .

Only to come back down to earth.

I sighed disappointedly.

"No need to be discouraged on the first try." Eric chided me. "We can also try flying together or there are some other, more aggressive, ways of testing your ability."

"Aggressive?" I asked tentatively.

"Some Masters will use their Maker's command to test a new vampire's abilities." He explained. "For example, I could command you to fly."

"Then why don't we do that?" I asked. "That seems rather simple."

"It is simple to execute. However, if you do not have the tested skill, then it is very painful."

"Painful?"

"Yes." Eric's tone had grown in seriousness. "A Maker's command must be followed. If a vampire does not follow a Maker's order, then the child experiences growing levels of pain until the Master either removes the order, or the child complies with their Maker's command."

"So, if you ordered me to fly but I didn't know how, then I would be in pain until you removed the command?" I asked with a little fear.

"Not exactly." He corrected. "If you have the _ability_ to fly, then your instincts and my command would take over and you would fly. You would not need to _know_ how to fly. You just would. However, if you didn't have the ability, then there would only be pain."

I thought about what he was saying for a moment and weighed the options before asking cautiously, "You would remove the command quickly?"

"Of course, but we do not need to test you that aggressively, Sookie. There is no need."

"I . . ." I took a deep unneeded breath, "I think I want to know though, Eric. It's not so much the flying as the light show I did with my hands against Amy. I need to know if I can still do it. If I can, then I want to learn to control it before I hurt someone."

Eric seemed to think over my words for a few moments before he spoke again. "Sookie, if you retained your Fae power, I cannot be sure it would follow the same rules as a vampire talent. Your instincts may not answer my command in the same way for Fae abilities. I do not wish to test you needlessly.

"Please Eric. Let's try"

After what felt like eternity, he finally nodded slightly. "We will try two tests only. One for your ' light show,' as you called it, and one for flying. I would not normally agree, but the Magister may push me to test you like this, if I have not already done so. I would prefer we test you in private and simply report our findings."

"Okay." I answered enthusiastically.

"Be careful what you ask for Sookie." He warned. "This will not be pleasant for either of us if you do not possess the talent we are testing for."

I nodded solemnly as I considered his words.

He would suffer my pain with me through our bond. I wasn't looking forward to the possible pain but I was willing to suffer through it. However, I hadn't considered Eric's suffering with me.

"We don't have . . . " I started.

"I am not unwilling, Sookie. I was simply reminding you that your decisions now affect me as well." He explained. "Now, are you ready?

"As I'll ever be."

In a deeper voice than normal, Eric's words rang in my ears. "I command you to fly five feet up into the air and hover there."

The moment the words started to leave his mouth, I felt a pull in the center of my being that demanded I comply with whatever orders my Maker relayed to me. It wasn't painful as much as it was insistent, and compelling. Before I could completely register what was happening, my knees were bending slightly and I was jumping up into the air.

And I stayed there.

If I had a heartbeat, then it would have been racing. I was so excited I screamed and laughed at the same time.

I finally looked down at Eric to see him smirking up at me for a moment, before he was hovering right in front of me.

"I can fly." I stated the obvious.

"Indeed." He answered before laying the mother of all kisses on me.

Of course, I didn't resist in the slightest.

I don't know how long we lingered, exploring each other's mouths as we hovered above the ground, but Eric eventually was the one to pull away, long after both of our fangs had descended.

"As much as I would like to continue this, we should get your feet back on the ground and conclude our test. Sunrise will be in a couple of hours and I have other plans for the remainder of the night."

"Hmmm." I hummed as I watched him descend to the ground. "Will I enjoy those plans?"

"I do believe you will, Ms. Stackhouse." He grinned devilishly.

"Then by all means, please help me down so we can conclude our tests." I said with my best Southern Belle smile.

In the same deep tone as before, Eric answered. "You may return to the ground."

I immediately fell gracefully from the sky to land on my feet and look back at Eric.

"It took me several months to learn to fly on my own." He explained. "We will work on it now that we know you have the ability. I dare say Pam will be quite jealous."

"Oh!" I clapped. "Can I tease her?"

He laughed. "At your own risk."

I couldn't help but laugh as well. I was in a wonderful mood.

"Ready for our second test?" He asked.

"Sure."

"I command you to strike the chair behind you with the same energy you used against the drainer."

Again, I felt the compelling pull inside me start to tighten and I raised my hand towards the chair. I expected the light to come out of my hand, but instead, I felt the pull inside me feel as if it was tightening. At first, it felt as if I had a stomach cramp, but very quickly it surpassed cramps and entered the realm of a knife churning through my abdomen.

I dropped to my knees.

And then suddenly it stopped.

Eric was in front of me in the next moment and he was wiping blood tears from my eyes that I hadn't even realized had started to fall.

"What happened?" I asked softly.

"I removed the command when I felt your pain start to build. It seems you either did not retain the skill or it does not answer to your instincts, as your flying ability does." He explained softly while continuing to clean my face. "We can try other ways of testing that ability on another night. However, we will not try the Maker's call again with any Fae talents."

I nodded slowly as I had no desire to repeat that type of pain.

"Come." Eric said as he stood and offered me his hand. "I believe we've done enough for tonight and you need to feed again."

I stiffened at the word feed and Eric seemed to read my mind.

"Your live feedings will start tomorrow at Fangtasia." He explained as he led me into the house, and towards to the kitchen. "Do not worry. I will not let you harm anyone."

I nodded in response as I tried to concentrate on what he was saying and not the cup he was pouring my meal into.

Willing myself to think about something else, I asked a question I had been meaning to ask since before Pam left. "Why did you want Pam to tell Bill where we would be tomorrow?"

"He will not stop until he finds you." He shrugged. "It is better to know where we will face him so you are prepared."

I watched him place my cup of blood in the microwave while I asked. "What do you think he wants? What do you think the Queen ordered him to do?"

"There are several possible answers to those questions." He answered as he took my blood back out of the microwave and started pouring himself a glass.

"The most probable?" I questioned once I had taken a few sips.

"He was told to spy on us. To confirm your turning and report back to the Queen, before the Magister's meeting."

"But any vampire could have done that job for her." I reasoned.

"True." Eric conceded as we both finished our bloods. "However, she may have had some other job for him that does not involve you. Spying may be a secondary job."

"Okay. What are the least probable options?"

"He could want to apologize. He may have wanted to try to 'rescue' you from me before you were turned. He could hold out a foolish hope that I would share you with him."

"Over my dead body!"

Eric smirked at me and raised one of his eyebrows as if he were waiting on something.

Then I realized what I had said and I started to laugh. I laughed so hard I had blood tears forming in the corner of my eyes.

"My . . . dead . . . body!" I gasped out between laughs.

I heard Eric slightly chuckle before he moved to stand behind me with his hands on my hips. "Do not worry, Lover. I have no intention of sharing you with anyone." He whispered as his lips slowly brushed against the sensitive space behind my ear.

"Mmm." I hummed as I leaned back into his arms. "I don't want to share you either."

"You will not have to." He answered as he nibbled on the crook of my neck.

As I turned in his arms to face him, I looked up into his eyes. "Do you mean that?"

"You are my bonded child." He said softly as he swept a piece of hair out of my face and back behind my ear, "I would no more hurt you than I would purposefully hurt myself."

And then he kissed me.

My legs seemed to have a mind of their own as he lifted me up to his height and they automatically wrapped themselves around his waist.

We were in _our_ bedroom before I could blink an eye.

"You have learned many things tonight, Lover." He spoke huskily as he lifted my top over my head. "It's my turn now."

I had already removed his shirt and was working on his belt and pants as I teased back, "What would you like to learn, Mr. Northman?"

As he kissed a path down from my lips to the valley between my breasts, he slowly answered.

"New ways to make you scream my name."

* * *

Please review and tell me what you think. Love you all! Thanks for reading.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: You all are amazing. This story has received over 1500 reviews, almost 1000 alerts, and over 600 favorites. Thank you so very much!

To make up for your long wait on the last chapter, here's another one. I'm a little nervous about this chapter for some reason. I hope you like it.

A big thank you to my wonderful beta, Northman Maille, for getting this chapter back to me so quickly. You are awesome!

Disclaimer: I only own them in my dreams.

* * *

_Previously:_

_"You have learned many things tonight, Lover." He spoke huskily as he lifted my top over my head. "It's my turn now."_

_I had already removed his shirt and was working on his belt and pants as I teased back, "What would you like to learn, Mr. Northman?"_

_As he kissed a path down from my lips to the valley between my breasts, he slowly answered._

_"New ways to make you scream my name."_

* * *

When my eyes popped open at sunset, I was confused for a couple of moments and it caused me to feel very anxious.

"Shh." Eric soothed me as he smoothed back my hair with his hand. "The first couple of risings are disorienting but you will adapt quickly."

"I don't remember . . ." I stopped, unable to say the words.

"Dying for the day?" He asked evenly and I nodded in response.

"Then my distraction worked perfectly." He said with his trademark smirk before becoming serious again. "Newborns often worry about the first time they go into their daytime rest. I decided to keep you _distracted_ last night. Now you know it isn't painful or anything to be worried about."

"I don't feel groggy or anything. It's like I've been awake for hours and already had coffee."

"We are fully functional from the moment the sun sets until the moment the sun rises. There is no need to spend time 'waking up' as we are instantaneously alert. We are only groggy if we fight the pull of day, but you will not be able to do that for many decades."

"Oh." Elegant response, I know, but I didn't know what else to say.

"Come. We need to shower and get ready for Fangtasia." He ordered as he walked over to the mini fridge in the corner of the room. "You may have two bags of blood to curb your thirst until we get there."

I drew in a sharp and unnecessary breath.

Fangtasia. Live donors. Feeding.

I was shaking my head before I even realized I was doing it. Eric turned to face me with my meal in his hands and a face etched with determination.

"Sookie, I will be with you the whole time and I will not allow you to hurt anyone. They will be willing and very thankful that they were chosen to feed my child."

He handed me the blood and I started to drink it without sparing it any thought. All of my focus was on what would be happening at Fangtasia.

I would have to choose a fangbanger. They would be my _dinner._ Oh! My eyes widened as I realized I would have to feed more than once tonight. Eric said I'd have to feed every few hours! I was going to have to feed on several fangbangers. I knew from earlier visits to Fangtasia that they were going to want to be bitten, but I didn't want to have to listen to their thoughts. My God! They would expect to have sex with me!

"I won't have sex with them!" I blurted out in a shaky voice.

As soon as the words left my mouth, Eric was standing in front of me and tilting my chin up so he could look in my eyes.

His eyes were blazing with possessiveness.

Interestingly enough, the possessiveness I saw and felt coming from him made me slightly less fearful of the night's events.

"You won't have sex with who?" He asked with quietly heated words.

"Them . . . the fangbangers . . . they'll want . . . I don't . . ." Why couldn't I get out a full sentence!

As if answering my silent question, Eric pointed to my barely touched glass of blood and ordered me to drink.

I did as I was told and I realized how truly terrified I was of feeding off live donors if that fear actually made me ignore blood, but I quickly shook off the thought and drained my glass.

Eric took the cup from me and pulled me into a passionate kiss that left my lower stomach coiled and my fangs extended. When he pulled away slightly, he leaned his forehead against mine and looked into my eyes.

"You. Are. Mine." He said fervently. "No one else will have you. I will not allow those vermin to have you. You will feed off of females."

"And you?" I asked before my brain could stop me.

"I do not need to feed tonight. I will not need to feed for over a week since I drained you only a few nights ago." He answered matter-of-factly, as he took my hand and led us to the shower.

"But if you do have to feed?" Why can't I shut up?

Again, Eric turned towards me with a severe look on his face. "Vampires usually enjoy having sex when they feed, Sookie, but it is not a requirement. I have told you that I will not hurt you in such a way. You need to learn to trust me."

I hung my head. "I'm sorry."

He nodded and we both proceeded into the shower. Eric spent the next hour _distracting _me in wonderfully sinful ways.

Once we were dried and dressed, Eric led me to the living room and sat me in one of the leather chairs that I was beginning to hate.

These chairs seemed to mean I was going to be told something I didn't like or I was getting punished. Since I hadn't done anything wrong – lately – I assumed I was about to hear something I didn't want to hear.

"What is it?" I asked nervously.

"We must talk about how you will act at Fangtasia and in public."

"Oh." I said and my shoulders relaxed some.

"Do not disregard what I am about to say, Sookie. I do not wish to punish you in front of all the vampires at Fangtasia. However, if you disrespect me there, then you will be punished there."

My shoulders regained their rigidness, as I nodded for him to continue.

"As I told you before, you do not have to call me Master, as we are bonded. However, you will not speak unless I ask for your opinion. If you wish to speak or tell me about something you hear from the patrons, then you will simply ask to speak by saying my name. Under _**no**_circumstances are you to contradict me, yell, or speak without permission." He paused. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"You need to respond, 'Yes, Eric' when we are in public."

"Yes, Eric."

"Good."

"Compton will be there this evening and he may attempt to bait you in any number of ways." I tensed up further. "You will stand quietly by my side unless I give you permission to speak. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Eric." I answered before continuing. "Will I be allowed to confront him?"

"I will need to assess the situation first, but you will have your time to face him in the future even if it is not this night. Also, I will be announcing you in the bar tonight as my bonded child. As such, the vermin and the vampires that owe me fealty will call you Mistress."

I opened my mouth to argue but Eric made a small motion with his hand and I struggled to keep my words to myself.

"This is how the vampire world works, Sookie. I am their Master and as my bonded child, you are their Mistress. You must accept this." He ordered before continuing. "Only Pam may call you by name since you are sisters."

As I nodded in resignation, Eric came forward to pull me up from the chair. "Have I told you that you look ravishing tonight?"

I smiled. I had specifically chosen the short wrap red silk dress to fit Eric's personality. It was sexy, but fun.

"Thank you, Eric."

"Come. We need to get to the club."

* * *

The closer the corvette got to Fangtasia, the more nervous I became. Fangbangers, feeding, Bill, and the 'rules' were all swirling around in my head with none of them really winning the number one 'freak-out' spot. I was worried about all of them equally.

What if I drained someone?

What if Bill tried to take me away for the Queen?

What if I messed up and broke Eric's rules?

So many questions were flying through my mind that I didn't even notice when we arrived at Fangtasia until I felt the car stop.

"I believe you will need to feed before we go out to the floor for the announcement." Eric stated as he placed the car in park.

"Maybe I could wait. . . "

"Do we need to have this _discussion_ again, my child?" His tone was all the warning I needed.

I did my best to steel my nerves and accept the calm I could feel flooding Eric's side of our bond. "No, Eric. I know I need blood."

"Good." He exited the car swiftly and came around to my side to open the door. "It will not be as bad as you think. I dare say you will rather enjoy it."

I mumbled. "That's what I'm worried about."

Of course, he heard every word and wasn't about to let it pass. With one hand under my chin, he stared into my eyes as he spoke. "You are vampire, Sookie. You must feed and there is enjoyment intrinsic in your feeding. This is what you are. You must accept it."

"I don't want to think of them as food."

"These vermin make themselves food. It's comparable to a cow freely choosing to enter a slaughterhouse. These humans come here to be our meals. Save your respect of humanity for those whom are not determined to be cattle."

We stood staring at each other for an unknown amount of time as I considered his words. I could hear the heartbeats of some of the humans inside and it was making my thirst reach a new peak. My fangs were itching to descend and my throat felt parched.

I _needed_ blood.

Iwas a vampire.

They _wanted_ to feed me.

I thought about Eric's comparison to cattle and I couldn't help but begrudgingly agree with him. The people who came to the club knew that vampires owned the bar and that they wanted human blood. Yet, they chose to come and offer themselves up on a platter.

Should I feel guilty for accepting their offer? Was it so wrong to give them what they wanted while getting nourishment for myself? Why should I be so afraid of enjoying a meal when they would enjoy being bitten?

"Are you ready?" Eric finally asked.

I sighed because I didn't think I would ever truly be ready. I still wasn't a hundred percent okay with what I was about to do, but I felt more at ease with the situation. No, not at ease. Resigned. That was a more appropriate word.

"Sookie?" He prompted.

"I'm ready."

With a quick kiss to my forehead, Eric took my hand and led me to the back door.

The moment we stepped inside Fangtasia, Eric dropped my hand and even though I understood he was in Sheriff mode now, it still hurt. Eric must have felt it because he sent me what felt like affection through the bond.

I couldn't help but smile a little. It was the first time I'd felt more than calm, pride, lust, or desire from him and I welcomed it.

Before I could think anymore on the feelings in the bond, however, we were in Eric's office and Pam was following us in.

"Look who made the front page of the Shreveport News." Pam said as she tossed a newspaper onto Eric's desk.

Before anyone could say or do anything else, I was picking up the newspaper and reading a headline a third of the way down the page. _"Small town woman becomes vampire child of local businessman." _Below the headline was a picture of me smiling at the camera and wearing my Merlotte's work t-shirt. It looked like a picture Sam had hanging in his bar.

"Charming picture. Don't you think so?" Pam taunted me.

I looked her dead in the eyes and deadpanned. "I can fly."

When I saw the shocked look on her face and her mouth hanging open, it was hard not to stick my tongue out and say na-na-na-na-bo-bo.

Finally, she smirked, "Liar. Even if you could, you wouldn't know yet."

I raised my eyebrow and smiled. "Ask him."

One look in Eric's direction and Pam knew. Her facial expression went from gloating to pissed off in less than a second, and she started to storm out of the office. However, Eric had other ideas.

"Pam. Report."

She stopped a foot from the door and seemed to collect herself before she turned around with her normal bored look on her face.

"Compton is already here demanding to see Sookie, the Magister's people called to confirm his visit tomorrow, and the bar is at capacity due to the article because everyone wants to see your newest child"

My fangs were down by the end of her first word and they were throbbing by the time she stopped talking. I was thirsty and angry and felt more out of control then I ever had. I was scared.

My voice quivered slightly as I croaked out, "Eric?"

I could smell the humans in the club and I wanted to . . .

I locked my jaw in place and froze my muscles. I refused to continue that thought.

"Pam, bring back a clean and experienced female."

I saw Pam raise her eyebrow at his words but she left without further comment and Eric was standing in front of me with his hands on my shoulders.

"Your emotions and hunger are closely related. You must learn to calm your emotions or they will increase your thirst."

I nodded but anger, fear, and want were coursing through my body. I tried to focus on Eric's eyes instead of my emotions but then desire was added to the mix.

The door suddenly opened and Pam pushed in a pretty, brunette woman who was slightly taller than me, before she left and shut the door.

My attention was immediately drawn to her neck. She had worn her hair up and I could clearly see her jugular vibrating slightly as her blood rushed through her veins. I inhaled and smelled blood, baby powder, alcohol, and lavender soap. I started to step toward her but Eric held me still and the woman decided to take a step towards _my _maker.

I growled.

_That_ got her attention and she took a step backwards.

"Sookie, stay where you are or I will command you to do so." Eric warned me before releasing my shoulders and turning to face the unknown woman.

"My new child must learn to feed. Are you willing to be her first meal?" Eric asked the woman, and I was absolutely certain he was only asking to make me feel better.

"I'm her first?" The woman preened happily.

Cattle.

Oh my god! Did I just think that?

"Yes." Eric answered her. "You may sit on the couch."

The woman smiled hugely and moved to sit in the middle of the couch. Eric came over and took my hand to lead me to the back of the couch.

Fear started to creep into me again as I realized I was really going to bite this person and drink their blood.

But want began to build up, and my fangs descended as I continued to breathe in her scent and hear her heartbeat.

Eric edged me over to stand behind the woman and he stood with his chest to my back while guiding my left hand into the woman's hair and slightly pulling her head to the side.

Instinct took over.

In an instant, I leaned over her exposed neck and bit. She may have squealed in surprise but I'm not entirely sure. All I knew was the flow of warm, rich, wonderful blood into my mouth. It pulsed onto my tongue and I sucked greedily as I tried not to spill any of the amazing liquid.

It was entirely different from the bagged donor blood Eric had been feeding me. It tasted like life itself and it was exhilarating. Nothing else mattered to me but getting as much of the essence as possible.

I was still sucking greedily when I felt Eric lean over me and place his mouth to my ear. "I want to push your skirt up and drive myself into you over and over again until you can't think about anything else but my . . ."

I didn't need him to say anything else. I removed my fangs from their meal while simultaneously taking one hand to pull my skirt up and the other one to tear off my underwear.

I heard a zipper and Eric's husky voice ordering the woman to leave. The moment the door was closed behind her, he entered me and I screamed out at the welcomed intrusion. I braced my arms on the side of the couch and rode the tidal wave of my maker's passion. I was so turned on that it only took moments for me to reach my first peak and within seconds Eric had me moved and spread out on his desk. He unwrapped my dress quickly while growling, "I want to see you."

I reached up and grabbed his shirt to pull it over his head but ended up ripping it off instead.

I didn't care.

Eric's hands came up to tease my covered breasts while his hands pulled my butt up off the desk to dive into me deeper. My head fell back and my eyes rolled as he continued to pound into me. Suddenly, he bent over and bit deeply into my shoulder and I yelled out at the top of my lungs begging him not to stop as I climaxed harder than I ever had in my life. The sheer force of my moment was enough to push Eric over the edge and we collapsed together onto the desk.

"You are amazing." He whispered reverently as his head rested on my chest and my hand brushed through his hair.

"So are you." I panted out before realizing I didn't need to pant anymore.

"Do you have any idea how arousing it was to watch you sink your fangs into her?" He spoke against my skin as he slowly kissed his way up to my mouth and licked my fangs.

I almost came undone with that single action, but then I considered his words.

I sat up abruptly and he followed me, still buried inside me, as he straightened up in front of me. "We almost had sex with that girl in here!"

"No, we didn't. I waited until she left." He said calmly as he moved my hair from the side of my neck.

"But you . . ." I started before I moaned as he nibbled at my collarbone.

"I became overwhelmed by watching you and decided that _distracting_ you would be the easiest way to get you to stop before you took too much."

"Oh." I whimpered as he pulled back and started slowly thrusting into me again.

I could practically feel him smirking against my skin as he answered. "Yes. Oh."

Deciding to repay my maker for his attentions, I pulled his hair to bring his head back so I could whisper in his ear. "Sit on the couch."

Eric quickly placed his hands under me and carried me with him to the couch so that I was sitting on his lap. Slowly I began to move so that I was riding the full length of him. I leaned over him and sliced my tongue on my fang before kissing him.

I wasn't in control for long.

Eric groaned loudly as our tongues met and my blood flowed into his mouth. His hands on my hips became insistent as we both moved at inhuman speeds towards our climaxes. Right as our moment blessed us both and we screamed out in release, I barely registered the sound of the door opening. However, I was too blissed out to care and I leaned into Eric's chest without looking over my shoulder to see who had entered.

I just assumed it was Pam.

And I was right.

Sort of.

"I told him he had to wait but he refused to listen." She drawled.

"I suppose he overpowered you." Eric said evenly as he petted my hair.

Before I could turn around, I heard the Southern drawl I'd decided to hate. "Sookie?"

With vampire speed, I stood up off Eric and retied my wrap dress so that my body was covered before facing my lying ex-boyfriend. I took one moment to look at Eric and saw the reminder flash in his eyes.

I was not to say or do anything.

"Sookie." Bill said again as he stepped further into the room. "Darling I'm so sorry. I'll figure out a way to help you."

"Help her, Compton?" Eric challenged as he rose off the couch in all his glory.

"How could you order her to have sex with you? Have you no decency?" Bill yelled.

I punched him in the face.

As he straightened back up and looked at me in surprise, I stared angrily into his eyes as I said evenly. "Don't insult my maker."

* * *

A/N: So, what do you think? Like it, love it, hate it, somewhere in between. Please review and let me know your thoughts.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Wow! Your response to the last chapter was AMAZING! Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments and for continuing to follow my story. I hope you enjoy this chapter as there is a lot going on.

Lots of love for my wonderful beta, Northman Maille.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

* * *

_Previously: _

"_Sookie." Bill said again as he stepped further into the room. "Darling I'm so sorry. I'll figure out a way to help you."_

"_Help her, Compton?" Eric challenged as he rose off the couch in all his glory. _

"_How could you order her to have sex with you? Have you no decency?" Bill yelled. _

_I punched him in the face._

_As he straightened back up and looked at me in surprise, I stared angrily into his eyes as I said evenly. "Don't insult my Maker."_

* * *

Before Bill could respond, he was falling to his knees in front of me due to Pam's strategically placed kick to the back of his left knee. When he was on the floor, she leaned over him to speak in his ear, "What she said."

Just as I was about to move forward and strike him again, I felt a powerful tug on my shoulder. When I looked behind me, Eric was staring into my eyes while one hand held me in place. Though I could feel his amusement and pride, I also saw and felt his anger.

Shit. I hoped most of that anger was for Bill and not for me.

When Eric tilted his head towards the couch, I obeyed. I didn't need another punishment so soon. I was pretty sure I had already racked up a second one.

"As you can see Compton, neither of my children require any _help_." Eric said as he stood without a stitch of clothing over the kneeling vampire.

"You've brainwashed her!" Bill snapped back as he regained his footing and stood before the taller vampire. "She would never take you to her bed of her own free will."

"Hmph." I grunted softly.

Luckily Eric ignored it.

"Whom my child does or does not _relate_ with is no longer any of your concern." Eric smirked down at him.

"She was mine! She was taken from me." He nearly whined before composing himself. "I have things to discuss with her."

My fangs were as long as they had ever been, as I hissed at his declarations.

Eric calmly grabbed his shirt and pants off the floor and dressed while working his way behind his desk, as Bill glared daggers in his direction.

Personally, I was fighting the battle between anger at Bill and lust over Eric's naked form. He must have felt my internal struggle as he quickly looked my way and winked when he bent over to pull up his pants.

I groaned softly to myself. That man has an ass that should be worshipped by women everywhere.

But it was mine.

When he was completely clothed, he turned back to Bill with a bored expression and a flourish of his arm. "If you have something to say, then say it."

Bill blanched slightly. "It is a private conversation."

Eric laughed without humor, "You think I will let you speak to my new child alone? The woman whom you lied to and caused immeasurable pain?"

"I had no choice! I was under orders. You know I had to follow them!"

"Enough. You will not be alone with my child. Nor would I leave her alone with any other vampire." Eric ordered before turning to me with a raised eyebrow. "Do you wish to speak with him?"

The eyebrow told me what I needed to know.

I was being given permission to speak my mind.

"Yes, Eric."

Bill smiled triumphantly in Eric's direction before stepping towards me as if to embrace me. When I stood up and he was close enough, I punched him again. This time in the stomach.

As Pam had done before, I leaned over to speak close to his ear. "Did you truly believe I would want to be touched by you?"

"You don't understand." He growled out as we both straightened up. "As a vampire, you must obey your Queen."

"That's such a relief, Bill, to know I was just another order from your Queen." I hissed.

"No!" He said quickly. "That's not what I meant!"

"Is this where you tell me how you truly _love_ me?" I growled.

"Sookie, I do love you." He pleaded.

"Before or after you took my virginity?" I asked evenly and I heard Eric growl in response to the question.

"What?" Bill asked.

"It's a simple question, Bill." I said lightly. "Did you love me before or after you had sex with me?"

He paused for a moment and I didn't give him a chance to answer before I turned to walk towards Eric. When I reached his side, he pulled me into his lap and I turned back to look at the pathetic vampire in front of me.

"I don't want to know you anymore, William Compton. I would say I wished I'd never met you but then I wouldn't be _here_ and I like it _here_," I said as I gestured to Eric. "As far as I'm concerned, you are just another vampire in my Maker's territory and I have no desire to spend anymore time in your presence or hear anything else you wish to say."

I felt Eric's pride at my words right before I felt him go back into Sheriff mode.

"Speaking of your presence in my territory, Compton. Do tell us why you have returned? Shouldn't you be silvered in a coffin somewhere?" Eric asked as he draped his arms around me possessively.

"I had personal business to attend to, Sheriff. My Maker has taken my place."

"And Lorena felt this personal business was important enough for her to undertake your punishment for you?"

"Yes, well, Lorena and I were close for a great many years. She saw fit to come to my aide and I accepted."

"Of course you did you sniveling weasel." Pam drawled from her post by the door.

Eric ignored Pam's words and continued his questioning. "Are you still completing work for the Queen while you are in my area, Compton?"

"Eric," he answered in a congenial but obviously false tone, "you know I would not be able to give you that information even if it were fact."

Eric nodded curtly as if he received his answer before placing my feet on the ground and standing to his full height beside me. "Then we have nothing else to discuss. You may leave."

"Sookie, I still . . ." He started but was unable to finish with Eric's hand tight around his throat.

"When I dismiss you, then you leave. There are no final words to be said unless they are by me. Do you understand?" Bill nodded. "In this case, my final words are these . . . No one and nothing will come between my children and me. Any attempts to come between us will end in final death for the vampire involved. Do you understand?"

Bill's fangs were out and he was struggling to get loose from Eric's hand, until Eric made his grip even tighter. Bill finally stilled and nodded. Eric immediately dropped him and he left the room at vampire speed.

"Good riddance" I muttered as Pam closed the door behind my ex.

"Pam." Eric ordered as he walked back towards me. "Have Compton followed."

"Yes, Master." She answered before swiftly leaving the room.

"Now, my child. We must go and introduce you to the masses." He said as he stared down at me. "However, do not think I have forgotten your disobedience with Compton earlier." I stiffened. "We will discuss it at home before the next sunrise."

I knew I wouldn't be lucky enough to get away with it, but I decided it was worth it. No matter what the punishment was, I got to punch Bill Compton. Twice. So, I accepted Eric's words and nodded slowly, before following him out of the office.

The closer we got to the front of the bar, the more my senses were overloaded. The odor was repugnant as the smell of blood was overpowered by, and intertwined with, alcohol, body odor, several different colognes and perfumes, dirt, soap, and a multitude of other items. The thumping of the music overwhelmed the delicate sound of the human heartbeats and the air tasted stuffy and putrid.

"How do you stand this place?" I asked without thinking first.

Eric stopped in front of me and I was worried I had overstepped a rule. However, when he turned around he had a wry smirk on his face. "There are far worse places I've had to endure. You will get used to your senses feeling overloaded in public places. You will eventually be able to tune out any smells or sounds you don't wish to focus on. It will come with practice."

"Not soon enough." I grumbled while crinkling my nose before noticing the sign for the women's restroom. "May I clean myself up before we enter the bar?"

"Be quick."

I dashed into the women's room and was pleasantly surprised to find it empty. I took a couple moments to clean myself up from my earlier activities and then straightened my hair the best I could with my fingers. When I exited, Eric was standing in exactly the same place waiting for me.

He smiled for only a moment before putting his Sheriff's mask back on. "Remember the rules."

I steeled myself with a deep, unnecessary breath before replying with my required. "Yes, Eric."

"Follow me." He ordered before turning around to walk the rest of the way into the bar.

I looked around as I followed a few steps behind my Maker and I found Pam had been right about the size of the crowd. The couple of times I had been to Fangtasia, it had never been this busy. People were standing shoulder to shoulder near the bar, the dance floor was packed, and every chair and stool looked occupied.

Before we had made our way twenty feet across the floor of the bar, it seemed everyone noticed Eric's presence and started to stare in silence.

I rolled my eyes. This was going to be excruciatingly embarrassing. I guess it was a good thing I couldn't blush.

As we approached the raised stage where Eric's throne sat, I cringed as I noticed my new throne sitting beside his. It was an exact match to his existing throne except it was smaller to fit my much slighter frame. I was glad Pam had thought to order a smaller throne because I would have looked ridiculous in one as big as Eric's.

When we finally made our way onto the stage, Eric turned us around to face the crowd. I saw him nod towards the DJ and the music was instantly cut. I don't think anyone noticed, however, because they all seemed to be staring at Eric or me or bouncing between the two of us.

"As many of you may have heard," Eric began with his commanding Sheriff's tone, "I have a new child. For the vampires here, know she is my bonded child." I saw a few vampires stiffen at this news and I wondered at their reaction. "Therefore, all those who owe me fealty will honor her and protect her." Eric seemed to scan the crowd and I noticed every vampire in the bar nod their head deeply in deference. "For the humans here, know I will not tolerate any disrespect of Ms. Stackhouse. You will treat her as you would me."

As Eric took my hand and led me back to the thrones, some of the fangbangers began to mumble to their neighbors and their whispered words were as loud as their thoughts, but their thoughts were much bolder than they were willing to say aloud.

_What's a bonded child? How is that different?_

_Who would honor her? She's a skank._

_What makes her so special? I'm prettier than her._

_I hope he doesn't stop fucking us because of her. It's not like he can feed from her anymore._

_He was mine! How dare she take him? How dare he turn __**her**__?_

I turned my head to find the woman behind the last set of thoughts as I wondered which fangbanger was delusional enough to think they could claim my Maker. She was fuming at the end of the bar as I observed her.

She was a pretty brunette with large breasts and a tiny waist. Her clothing was made for sin as the neckline on her dress plummeted almost to her navel, and the skirt barely covered her ass.

I heard from her head she had been with Eric many times. They had been together in his office, in the basement, and in the bar after closing. I instantly hated her with a burning passion. I had never felt so much hate for someone before and my thoughts were quickly becoming murderous.

"Sookie." Eric's commanding voice called to me and effectively brought me out of my violent thoughts for a moment.

"Yes, Eric." I answered without looking towards him.

"Join me." He ordered and I broke my stare at the bimbo to see he had gestured towards his lap.

I stood up and climbed into his lap, and instantly felt somewhat better. I wasn't angry with him for having sex before me. I mean he is over a thousand years old for Pete's sake. He had been with thousands of women and men. I was sure of that fact and I accepted it with as little jealousy as possible.

However, the fact that this slut thought he was _hers_ made me unfailingly livid.

"You must calm down." He breathed into my ear so no other vampire could hear. "I see what you are looking at and it was nothing but food and relief. She is nothing."

"She thinks you are hers." I hissed back in the softest voice possible.

"Ah." He answered before kissing me lightly behind my ear. "But we know I am yours."

My rapid – and unnecessary – breathing hitched at his words and I turned to face him with a brilliant smile. "Truly?"

"Master," I heard a distinctly male voice call from behind me.

"Yes, Maxwell?" Eric answered coolly.

"I wish to congratulate you on your new bonded mate." He said as he bowed his head.

Wait? What did he say? Mate?

Before I could say anything, however, Eric's hand on my thigh tightened and I understood the warning.

Keep my mouth shut.

Eric nodded his acceptance of his underling's words and Maxwell nodded to both of us before disappearing back into the crowd.

"Eric?" I asked as soon as we were alone again.

Speaking softly in my ear again, Eric explained quickly, "Bonded children are often referred to as mates in our world."

I started to ask more questions but Eric sat up straighter and turned his attention back to the area in front of the dais, as another vampire came to congratulate him on his new child.

As every vampire in the place started to come forward, one at a time, I tuned out for a moment in order to think about what I had learned.

We were considered mates by other vampires.

Was this why he kept telling me he was mine?

He had told me his blood was mine, but I hadn't truly considered the meaning of his words before now. He had told me I would be called Mistress by the vampires that reported to him, but I thought it was just another vampire rule. He had told me he was mine, but I didn't completely accept it. A part of me, the insecure part, thought he was placating me.

Instead, I now find out about mates and how other vampires will see our relationship. With a shock, I realized Eric knew we would be called mates before he turned me.

I looked at him through the corner of my eyes and observed him acknowledging the last vampire to offer their congratulations.

He had known we would be mates and he offered to turn me and bond to me before we had even kissed. He had protected me, cared for me, and taught me from the beginning. He had made my turning as easy on me as he possibly could. He had ravished me many times like a starving man. He was constantly reminding me that I was his and he was mine.

All these things brought me to one conclusion; Eric wanted me as his mate from the beginning.

I _could_ feel angry that he didn't tell me about mates before now or I _could_ feel manipulated that I was in this position without knowing beforehand. Instead, however, I felt cared for, desired, and euphoric.

He was mine.

As I came to this realization, Eric glanced down and caught my eye for a moment and I knew he felt my sudden rush of affection and happiness through our bond. Since we were still in front of the crowd, he couldn't necessarily acknowledge my feelings, but he squeezed my thigh lightly, and it was enough.

With a small, secret smile on my face, I turned to observe the crowd again.

The first thing I noticed was the brunette bimbo from earlier. She was dancing in front of the dais behind where the vampires were coming to speak with Eric. She noticed me observing her and she sneered.

I smiled at her.

I had a plan.

"Eric?" I asked when the latest vampire stepped away.

"Yes."

"Can I learn to glamour?" I asked politely.

He smirked mischievously at me and I knew he had seen my interaction with his previous meal.

"Certainly." He answered as he placed me back on my feet and grabbed my hand to lead me off the dais. As we passed the fangbanger, he ordered her to follow us and we made our way back to the office.

The moment we entered the office she walked forward with her hand out as if to touch his chest.

I grabbed her wrist before she ever had a chance of making contact.

"Don't touch me." The woman ordered before Eric took her away from me and sat her on a chair in front of his desk.

"Do not talk to my child." He ordered with a growl. "You will sit here and remain quiet."

"How could you turn her? What about me?" She whimpered. "We had a good time."

Eric ignored her and turned to me. "Take a seat across from her and look deeply into her eyes."

I followed his instructions and he crouched down behind me with his hands on my shoulders.

"What are you doing?" She asked while starting to stand up.

"Sit down." Eric barked at her and she immediately followed his command. "Be good and help my new child learn."

She started to say something else but Eric's warning growl shut her up quickly.

"Now," Eric whispered into my ear so the fangbanger couldn't hear. "You must focus on pulling her control or presence of mind into yourself, so that you are in control. Do not push too hard or you will break her. Only pull on her mind slightly so that you can command her."

I listened carefully to Eric's words but they seemed so abstract and difficult. However, when I turned them over in my mind, I realized that I was used to hearing human's thoughts and therefore this shouldn't be too hard for me.

Reaching out with my telepathy, I heard her malicious thoughts and focused on them until I willed them to stop. I squinted slightly while her thoughts became quieter and quieter until they stopped.

"I did it." I exclaimed when her thoughts stopped tumbling around in my head and she was staring off into space.

"You did." He answered as he placed a small kiss on my neck and I could hear the pride in his voice. "Now, you need to give her a command. Focus on her mind's presence and give your command to her stream of consciousness. Once you are done, withdraw slowly so that she doesn't go into shock."

Focusing back on the woman's mind, I spoke clearly and evenly. "You have never had sex with, or been bitten by, Eric Northman. You have no interest in him or his new child."

I felt Eric's amusement at my command as I slowly withdrew from her thoughts and released her mind.

"Did it work?" I asked Eric.

"Ask her and see for yourself."

Turning my attention back to the fangbanger, I asked her sweetly, "Honey, have you ever had sex with my Maker?"

She blanched before answering, "No."

"Do you want to?" I pressed.

"No." She answered quickly before adding, "No offense. You're just not my type."

"Woo Hoo!" I exclaimed as I jumped out of my seat and did a little dance.

The woman looked at me as if I'd lost my mind and Eric chuckled from behind me, but I didn't care.

I had learned a new skill quickly and I'd shut up the woman's awful thoughts. I was ecstatic.

"You are dismissed." Eric ordered to the woman.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, I was kissing my Maker with gratitude and an extreme amount of passion.

I groaned when he pulled away after a couple of moments, but I was encouraged when he started kissing down my neck. "You need to feed again."

Thinking of feeding made me remember our romp earlier in the office and I felt the lust spread through me quickly.

Eric obviously felt it too. "All in good time, Lover. First you must feed again. Would you like to select your own?"

I stiffened immediately and my lust dissipated as his words finally broke through my arousal.

I had to feed again. I had to bite another human again. Oh my god! I had bitten a human already!

"Sookie," Eric chided me softly. "You've already done this once. You can't allow yourself to become so upset every time. You must feed."

"I know. It's just . . . "

"Remember these humans are here because they want to be. No one is forcing them to be here." He paused for a moment and studied me. "Perhaps it would be best if you picked your next meal. You can use their thoughts to make you feel less guilty because you will know they want you to feed from them."

I thought about his words and his logic did make sense, but I wasn't sure I could do it. Was it the thought of using a human as a meal that bothered me or the thought that I was using them against their will?

"Come." He ordered.

My anxiety ratcheted up a notch as he approached the door and I felt him sending me calm through our bond.

"Eric." I breathed.

"You can do this, Sookie." He said sternly. "We will return to our places on the thrones and you can sift through their minds until you find one you want. If you do not choose one within ten minutes, then I will choose for you."

"But . . . " I started before he cut me off.

"You need to feed soon or you will be a danger to all the humans. Do you want that?" He asked me flatly.

"No! Of course not."

"Then you will choose." He said as he walked through the door. "Now, come."

I followed Eric back through the bar and to the platform. When we sat back on our thrones, the throng of fangbangers started strutting in front of us again.

There families would be so ashamed.

"Sookie." Eric called to me and then motioned to the crowd. I nodded to show that I understood and I dropped my shields.

_I hope he chooses me._

_I'm prettier than that slut they took back with them. _

_I don't want to be here. I shouldn't have accepted the dare._

_I wonder what it feels like. Will it hurt?_

I zeroed in on the last thought and found a petite woman with raven black hair sitting at a small table on the corner of the dance floor. She was dressed in all black but it wasn't overly revealing. It was almost demure.

_Why is she staring at me? Is she going to choose me? I hope she'll be gentle. _She thought. _I heard it feels really good, but I don't want sex with her. My boyfriend would be so upset if he knew I was here, but Melody said . . . _

"Have you chosen someone?" Eric asked.

I nodded.

"Then let's collect her shall we?" He said as he rose and offered me his hand.

The poor girl grew more and more nervous the closer we got to her. I almost changed my mind but Eric pushed more confidence through our bond and I was speaking before I thought any more about it.

"Would you like to come with us?" I asked when we stood in front of her.

"I . . .well . . ." She stammered.

"Only to be bitten by me. No sex." I said quickly to calm her nerves.

Amazingly, that worked wonders as she smiled up at me and nodded.

Eric led the way back to his office and he instructed the girl, Shannon, to stand in front of me while he stood behind me. My fangs ran out the moment she turned away from me and my eyes settled on her neck, which was exposed due to her short hair.

"Sookie," Eric whispered in my ear again, "I want you to try to consciously feed this time instead of letting your instincts take over. Try to hold back until you are ready."

I nodded before he continued in his normal voice. "Now, wrap your right arm around her waist so she doesn't fall and use your left hand to tilt her neck."

I followed his instructions and found myself fighting the urge to bite quickly into her neck as I smelled her blood and heard her frantic heartbeat. She smelled much more appetizing than the woman from earlier.

"Lick the spot you want to bite slowly to make the vein pop out more. Then slowly sink your fangs into her neck."

I leaned over the small woman and quickly licked her neck before pressing my fangs into her neck as slowly as I could handle since my control was slipping.

The explosion of blood in my mouth tasted so good I almost orgasmed immediately. Her taste was indescribable and I wanted as much of it as I could get. She was phenomenal.

I had taken several large gulps of her blood when I felt a tugging on my hair and I growled at the interruption.

"You must stop or you will kill her." I heard from somewhere behind me but I didn't pay the words any mind. I was in heaven.

_Oh god. Am I going to die?_

The thought hit me suddenly and I immediately retracted my fangs and stepped back away from her.

I could smell her tears.

"I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?" I breathed out as my fangs snapped back into my gums.

"Please don't hurt me." She cried.

"I won't." I said as I stepped forward but she cried harder and stepped away so I paused in my approach.

"Shannon." Eric called to the girl. "You were never in any danger. I could have commanded Sookie to stop. I only said you were in danger to see if she could stop on her own."

"I wasn't going to die?" She squeaked out.

"No. She didn't take more than you could spare."

I tapped into our bond and felt that he was telling the truth and I sighed in slight relief before I realized that she was still bleeding.

"I need to seal your wound." I said gently.

She gulped. "Can he do it?"

I hung my head but Eric answered. "She won't hurt you."

She still seemed unsure but she nodded slowly. I approached her like I would a scared kitten and I shushed her along the way.

"It's okay Shannon." I cooed. "I won't hurt you. I'm only going to lick your neck to heal the wound."

As I leaned over her neck, my fangs automatically clicked down again and I struggled to control myself with her blood flowing freely in front of me. It took all my willpower to lick her lesion and back away.

"All better." I smiled my "Crazy Sookie" smile.

She smiled back and apologized. "I'm sorry for freaking out. I've never done this before."

"It's okay. It's only my second time." I admitted.

"Wow. It didn't hurt at all." I felt a knot release in me at her words.

"Thank you for feeding me." I saw Eric shake his head in disbelief at my words but I was a Southern woman and I would thank them for my meals.

"You're welcome." She said shyly as Eric opened the door and motioned for her to leave.

When the door was closed, Eric turned to me with a smile. "You did very well."

"I would have drained her if you weren't here and I hadn't heard her think she was going to die!" I said dejectedly.

"Sookie," He said calmly. "She was an AB- human. They are one of the rarest and best tasting types. She was extremely clean and untouched by another vampire. If you had even an inch of control with her as your second human, then a normal fangbanger should be much easier."

"Really?" I asked with a bit more hope.

"Absolutely."

I paused for a moment before I let myself reminisce. "She did taste fantastic."

Eric smiled brilliantly at me before stepping forward to pull me into his embrace and kissing me with all his thousand years of experience. When he pulled away, he was still smiling, "I am very proud of you."

"Thank you." I smiled back before asking. "Can we go home now?"

"Yes." He answered before calling for Pam.

When she came into the room, she immediately grinned at me with fangs. "For a newborn, you have good taste. She smelled delectable."

Deciding to go with the flow, I simply agreed. "She was divine."

"Pam." Eric said as he closed up his laptop. "We are leaving for the night. Ensure that everyone knows we will not open until Midnight tomorrow night. The Magister is due to arrive at ten. We will meet you here at nine."

"Yes, Master."

"See you tomorrow, Pam." I called as we left the office.

"Master?" Pam called.

Eric looked back at her.

"I think you should buy me some shoes to make it up to me." She drawled with one hand on her hip.

"What exactly?" He challenged her with a raised eyebrow.

"Flying."

We both laughed as we exited Fangtasia and we didn't stop until we were in the Corvette.

"I wonder how long she'll stay bitter about it." I said as we drove through the streets of Shreveport.

"I predict she will never truly get over it." He chuckled slightly. "She was still using it as a way to get what she wanted before she ever had a sister that _could_ fly."

I chuckled slightly but was unsurprised since Pam seemed to be quite spoiled. We continued on in a comfortable silence until we pulled into the garage and entered the living room.

"You know you still have a punishment to receive." Eric stated casually as we sat down in the leather chairs.

I hated those chairs. _Always_ bad news.

I swallowed unnecessarily. "Yes, Eric."

"You understand I do not enjoy punishing you." I nodded. "However, you must learn control or it could cost us both our lives."

"He insulted you." I tried to defend myself.

"So will many others." He chastised me. "We may be in the presence of more powerful vampires when it happens again and you cannot take on the world. There is a time and place for everything."

I nodded before stating, "I understand."

He sighed and it was a strange thing to see as I realized he normally didn't have human mannerisms.

The act made me realize I wasn't going to like what was coming.

"As you know, silver burns vampires." I stiffened with fear. "Nothing else I can use on you would do more than sting for a moment. Your punishment is one slap on the offending hand with a silver rod. You will heal quickly but the punishment should be a reminder the next time you feel the need to lash out."

"Eric . . ." I pleaded.

"Stay strong, Sookie." He said with steel in his eyes and I felt his strength and resolve through the bond. Suddenly, I realized he would feel my punishment as well.

Somehow, knowing this made me feel better able to take the punishment he had prescribed.

"Where will we go?" I asked with an unsteady voice.

"Here." He said before stepping out of the room at vampire speed and coming to stand in front of me. "Are you ready?"

"Just get it over with." I said as I held up my right hand.

Before the dread could build in me any further, he turned my palm so that it was facing towards the ceiling and brought the silver rod in his gloved hand down across my hand.

I screamed.

It felt like I had placed my hand on the burner of the stove and left it there until my flesh started to boil. It was stinging, burning, and unbelievably painful. I had never felt anything as painful and I felt the blood tears running down my face as I gripped my hand to my chest. It was as red and blistered as a third degree burn on a human.

What would it be like to have silver touch my body for more than a second?

"Shhh." Eric soothed me and I realized I was now sitting on his lap on the couch. "You did well tonight and I am so proud of you, Lover. You will heal quickly and it will be over."

Eric rocked me slowly and smoothed my hair, as I continued to cry and watched in amazement as my blisters started to disappear and the redness of my skin started to fade. In all, it was probably over within five minutes.

When the pain finally subsided, I looked up at Eric sheepishly to see he was looking at me with concern.

It occurred to me that he was worried about how I would react to him after such a horrible punishment.

As he carried me to our room and started the shower for us, I thought back on his actions.

Part of me wanted to be angry he had hit me. If I were still human, I would find it abusive and degrading. Somehow though, I understood the difference in this part of being a vampire. It wasn't the same as being a human in a human relationship. Eric was trying to teach me so that we survived in a dangerous and violent world. He was protecting me.

It would be hard to explain to a human and I in no way would support domestic violence, but this was so different from a human relationship or human rules.

I was a vampire and I was punished as a vampire.

I had to accept it.

Suddenly I realized I was being wrapped in a big fluffy towel and Eric had already bathed us. I had been lost in my own thoughts while he was left to wonder about my reaction.

I kissed him softly before pulling back, "I understand you are protecting me by teaching me. It's okay."

I felt his tension release as he stroked a finger down my cheek. "You really are impressive, Lover. I expected you to hate me."

"I'll never hate you." I whispered back.

"We'll see."

I pulled him down to kiss him again, before jumping up and wrapping my legs around him instead of arguing with him.

I spent the rest of the night showing him how much I didn't hate him.

* * *

A/N: I'm nervous about everyone's response to this chapter. I hope you'll review and tell me what you think. What did you think about her response to Bill? How about finding out about mates and her first glamouring? And did you think he was too hard on her with her punishment?


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: You are all so wonderful and I cherish each one of your reviews and comments. Thank you so much for your support of this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

A huge thanks to Northman Maille for betaing this chapter. She's awesome!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I just play with the toys.

* * *

_Previously:_

_I kissed him softly before pulling back, "I understand you are protecting me by teaching me. It's okay." _

_I felt his tension release as he stroked a finger down my cheek. "You really are impressive, Lover. I expected you to hate me."_

"_I'll never hate you." I whispered back._

"_We'll see." _

_I pulled him down to kiss him again, before jumping up and wrapping my legs around him instead of arguing with him. _

_I spent the rest of the night showing him how much I didn't hate him._

* * *

When my eyes popped open, I felt disoriented and panicked for a moment before a warming calmness settled over me.

"Thanks." I whispered to Eric where he laid on his side facing me.

He nodded in response as I turned to face him. He looked to be contemplating something so I gave him time to think while I considered how sexy he looked with his hair messed up and falling around his face.

He smirked, obviously feeling my rising lust, before he reached to push a wayward hair from my cheek. "We need to talk about our bond and how it's affecting us."

I wrinkled my forehead in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I will always be honest with you, Sookie. I may not tell you everything I know, but what I tell you will be the truth." I nodded as I had already sensed this much from Eric. "I need you to trust me and I know I will not accomplish that unless you come to trust me on your own. With our bond, I believe you are feeling more calming effects from me than you realize."

"No. I can feel when you . . . umm . . . send me calm. Is that the right word? Send?" I asked.

"Yes, Lover, and I am proud of you for feeling that much as some young vampires have trouble distinguishing the difference between their own feelings and their Makers, but how often do you feel it?"

I shook my head slightly. "I guess you could say I feel it when I need it. I've only felt it a few times. I felt it when I rose tonight."

"Yes, I sent you a strong wave of calm when I felt you start to panic." He explained. "However, there have been times over the past two nights when you have been calmer or more rational than you should have been as a newborn."

I still felt confused. "Like when?"

"Your punishment."

I shook my head. "I told you I understood why you had to punish me."

"Yes, you did, but think about it Sookie." He urged. "How would you normally have reacted to that punishment a week ago?"

I tried to do what he was saying and think about how I would have reacted if I knew Eric had punished someone I knew as he did me last night. "I would have been angry if I knew you hurt someone like that and I would have been furious if you hurt me that way, but a lot of things have changed in the last week, Eric. I don't think the same way anymore."

He sighed as if he was frustrated that I didn't understand. "Lover, the bond between Maker and child is a very tight and intricate tie. It allows the Maker to have control over the child and is meant to allow the child to feel the Maker if the Maker desires it to be so. However, the bond is different with a bonded child."

"You've explained that before."

"Yes, but I'm not talking about how our undead lives are tied together. I'm specifically talking about the bond itself."

"Okay. How is it different?"

"It doesn't close." He paused before adding, "Ever."

He must have seen my confusion because he continued.

"In a normal Maker-child relationship, the Maker can close the bond at any time. They could have any number of reasons to do so. My tie to Godric is closed at the moment and I trust he has his reasons." He paused. "In our bond, that is not possible. We will always be connected. It's another reason why vampires do not make bonded children very often."

I thought about it for a minute before I clarified. "So, we can feel each other all the time and it will never go away."

"Indeed." He nodded. "I can dampen my side of the bond if I needed to do so and you may learn how to do that when you are much older, but we can never be truly closed off from each other."

"Okay, but I still don't understand what that has to do with how I've been acting."

"Lover, I have spent centuries learning to control my emotions and stay calm in the most chaotic atmospheres. I always attempt to use logic instead of reacting to a situation based on my emotions."

"And you think that our bond is making me do the same?" I asked.

"I think my calm is bleeding through the bond to you and dampening some of your normal reactions as a newborn or as the stubborn Southern telepath I've come to know."

"So I'm never really going to be myself?" I said bitingly as his words and explanation started to take hold in my mind and the implications became clearer.

"That is not what I said." He responded calmly. "I said your reactions might be dampened and therefore less impulsive. However, your stronger reactions still seem to break through, as with Compton last night." He waited a moment before adding, "Less you feel this makes our relationship unfair, know I have been far more affectionate with you and understanding of humans than I can recall ever being in my long life."

As he no doubt intended, his confession about how our bond affected him did make me feel better. At least I wasn't the only one feeling the effects.

"How do we handle this?" I asked since I wasn't sure how I felt about it all.

"There is really nothing to be done. This is our reality." He explained. "We both need to be aware that our personality may have unintentional affects on the other and we must attempt to control our responses when necessary."

"So, you are going to attempt to ignore the impulse to be kinder to humans and I . . .what . . . should freak out more?"

He laughed. "No, Sookie. I did not tell you this because I wished you to be more impulsive. I am simply telling you so you do not feel like I hid it from you or I am controlling you more than you know. As I said, I want you to trust me."

I turned over and lay on my back to stare at the ceiling.

I wanted to be mad at someone for this new development but I didn't feel like I could be angry with Eric. And what was more confusing was that I wasn't sure if I _did_ really want to be mad at Eric but I just wasn't _able_ to stay made at Eric. Hmmm. ..that reminds me.

Without thinking the subject to death on my own, I simply spit out my question. "Will you tell me more about mates?"

"Ah." He answered as he sat up next to me. "That was one of the subjects I expected you to be very angry about."

"Why didn't you tell me about mates? Are we mates? What exactly does it mean?"

"Historically, there have been very few bonded children that were not in a relationship with their Makers." He explained. "As such, they normally lived as a couple and were termed Mates by those vampires around them."

"So it's more of a nickname than a fact?" I asked with confusion.

"In the beginning, yes. However, over time, the name has come to mean more." He paused and I jumped in.

"Well!" I said impatiently.

He grinned. "For bonded children that have a sexual relationship with their Maker, the child is considered to be their mate and is afforded all the respect one would pay to the Maker."

"This is why you told me the vampires would be required to call me Mistress."

"Yes."

"Why not tell me about this in the beginning, Eric? I had a right to know." I huffed.

"Perhaps you did, but you were handling many life altering experiences. In addition, it was only on the last night that we became intimate. Would you have wanted me to tell you then you would become my Mate? How would you have reacted?"

I didn't have to think through my response. "I probably would have freaked out, changed my mind, and ran."

I felt a small wave of sadness through the bond and I realized what I had said. I reached out a hand to place it on Eric's arm before he could move away. "It's not how it sounds. I'm simply agreeing with you that my more stubborn, less rational, and non-trusting side would have freaked out on you." I paused before adding. "Plus, I wouldn't have wanted to ruin a perfect night."

We lay in bed together softly petting each other from time to time as we digested everything we'd heard.

I was the bonded child of Eric Northman and I would always feel him and his emotions. He could also send me emotions on a stronger scale if I needed them. This sharing of emotions was obviously having an effect on both of us. For me, I was reacting more rationally and in turn I was learning more and being punished less.

I could accept that.

I was also the mate of Eric Northman. I would be seen as important as him and protected by all those who owed him fealty.

"Eric, do vampires have multiple mates?"

"Vampires are very sexual and very open in their relationships Sookie. So I would say yes to your question. A Maker could turn two bonded children and they could all have relationships with each other."

"So they would have to all be mated together?" I asked.

"To be mated, yes, but many have open relationships and welcome others into their mated beds."

"OH! Ummm . . .Eric, I don't .. ." I stuttered.

"Do not worry, Lover." He soothed me as he pulled me into the cradle of his arms. "I have already told you I am yours. I know you haven't truly accepted this but it is fact. I need no others in our bed." He paused. "Do you wish to have others?"

"NO! NO. Absolutely not. No." I said quickly while shaking my head.

"Good." He laughed as he got out of the bed and walked over to the cooler in the corner of the room and removed bags of blood before pouring some in glasses and putting them in the small microwave in the corner. When he returned, he handed me two glasses of blood.

"We need to get ready for the meeting with the Magister."

I stiffened at the reminder of the horrible vampire that had presided over Bill's trial.

"There is nothing to be afraid of, Lover." Eric soothed me. "He is simply coming to confirm your new state of being. We have done nothing wrong."

"Somehow I don't think that matters much to him." I whispered.

He sat beside me on the bed as I drank my meal. "All you have to do is act as you did at Fangtasia last night. If he asks you a direct question, then answer it honestly but succinctly. Do not volunteer information. Do you understand?"

"Yes." I answered after finishing my meal.

"Good." He nodded. "Now, we will shower and get ready so you have time to feed again before the Magister arrives."

* * *

As was our _already_ normal routine, we made ourselves much dirtier before we got clean in the shower. We were both very sated by the time the water ran cooler, and we exited the shower to get dressed.

"Do I need to dress a certain way?" I asked since I was unfamiliar with vampire etiquette.

"No. Normal Fangtasia wear will be fine."

I nodded as I entered the closet and looked around at the clothes Pam had bought for me. I was happy she hadn't invested in any of the theaterical vampire clothing like she wore, but I was confused as to why she hadn't.

"Eric?"

"Yes." He answered as he came in behind me to pull out a dark pair of jeans.

"Pam didn't buy me stuff like she normally wears."

He kissed me on the forehead as he started to walk out of the closet. "You are the Mistress at the bar, Sookie. You don't have to be in costume."

"OH!" I said happily. I was relieved I didn't have to wear those supposedly 'vampire' outfits.

Looking through my clothing quickly, I found a dark pair of jeans that fit me like a glove and paired them with a sleeveless faux wrap navy blue top. I finished the outfit off with a pair of four-inch heels and went to find Eric.

When I found him sitting in the leather seats in the living room, my stomach sank.

I hated those chairs and the air still smelled like burned flesh. I shivered at the memory.

"Sit." Eric commanded and I followed.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, but I want you to be prepared for the meeting." I nodded to show I was listening. "The Magister insists on proper discipline. If you act inappropriately during his visit, I will have no choice but to punish you in front of him. Do you understand?"

I swallowed heavily out of habit rather than necessity. "I understand."

"Good." He paused. "Also, you will be feeding on a fangbanger as soon as we arrive."

My fangs dropped of their own accord and I clasped my hands over them. "I'm sorry." I mumbled.

"Don't be." He smirked. "That should be your response. I want you to be comfortable with your new state, Sookie, and part of that comfort is becoming acclimated to feeding on humans."

I nodded as I concentrated on willing my fangs back into my gums. With a snick sound, I knew I finally succeeded and I smiled back at Eric.

"You are getting better at controlling them." He said before speeding over to squat down in front of me. "Show them to me again."

"You've already seen them."

"Only glimpses." He replied. "You are always hiding them. Show me, Lover."

"I don't know how to make them come out." I admitted.

"Think about the AB- fangbanger from last night." The words had barely fallen from his lips when my fangs descended with a snap.

"Show them to me." He said with a purr to his voice that made my girly parts take notice.

Realizing I hadn't purposefully shown my fangs to anyone yet, I was suddenly shy. For some reason, this seemed extremely intimate to me and I was nervous.

Eric smiled at me reassuringly and took one of my hands in his before reaching his other hand up to cup my cheek and run his thumb along my lips. "Open for me, Lover."

His words were like a caress on my body and I let my mouth fall open slightly. His thumb continued to lightly trace my lips until it finally breached my lips and lightly stroked my right fang. An intense shiver of pleasure ran through my body. My eyes immediately closed and my head fell back and I hissed through the new sensation.

Eric's thumb didn't cease its welcomed assault as he moved his thumb to trace my left fang and my body convulsed with the feelings he was awakening in me. I was so lost to his touch that I didn't feel him move when he settled his weight between my thighs and leaned in to kiss my neck and whisper, "They are perfect. Do not be ashamed of them, Lover. They are your greatest weapon and one of the most sensual spots on your body."

I tried to hear his words but I was only half listening. I had felt his tongue and lips on my fangs before when we kissed, but to be completely aroused, as I was now, from only a slight touch to my fangs was overwhelming. I felt him start to move away and I quickly leaned forward to follow his thumb and take it into my mouth. I caressed it with my tongue and pushed it up against the side of my fangs.

"Sookie." He hissed in surprise as his hand on my thigh tightened. "We don't have time."

"Mmmm." I mumbled as I released his thumb and reached up to grab his head and pull him down into a heated kiss with my tongue wrapping around his fang.

He moaned into the kiss and I felt ecstatic that I could return the favor by paying such close attention to what I now knew was a vampire erogenous zone.

When I closed both of my lips around his left fang and sucked lightly, I felt him lose control through our bond. Lust, want, need, and desire all bombarded me. I immediately found myself lying on my back on the floor in front of the chair and naked from the waist down. I screamed in uncontrolled ecstasy as Eric entered me swiftly and began pounding into me at vampire speed. He placed his hands under my ass and lifted me while I pulled myself up to kiss him again.

I was so wound up that I knew I wouldn't last long and I was absolutely committed to reaching our climaxes together. With this thought in mind, I sliced my own tongue and wrapped it around his fang again.

He shivered in my arms and pounded into me harder as he growled in an animalistic way into my mouth. We both shouted through our release and collapsed onto the floor in a heap.

After a moment, I giggled. "I love my fangs."

He chuckled slightly as he agreed with me. "As do I, but perhaps I should plan better the next time I want to teach you something so arousing."

I smiled at him lying on the floor next to me before standing up, "I'll be ready in two minutes."

I used my vampire speed to clean myself up and put on a new pair of underwear and jeans before I met Eric in the garage. We were off to Fangtasia a moment later and I could only hope I was ready for this meeting.

* * *

When we pulled into Fangtasia, Eric parked in his normal spot by the back door and we went straight into his office. Pam was waiting for us with a tall brunette female fangbanger.

"The Magister is already here." She drawled. "He says he has pressing business and needs to leave earlier. I would have called you but I knew you were on your way."

"Sookie," Eric gestured towards the glamoured fangbanger and I hesitated for a moment until I felt his annoyance.

"When do I stop?" I asked for the first time since he had always stopped me before.

"When the heartbeat slows," he answered as I moved to stand behind the woman's chair. "It should be after five or six mouthfuls of blood for someone her size."

I nodded and was about to start feeding when Pam started speaking again. "There's something else, Master."

I looked up to see her glancing at me and I couldn't place the look on her face. Was it concern?

"What is it?" He asked and I felt his tension rise in the bond.

"The Magister has company with him."

"Who?"

"Compton." She answered before adding. "And the Queen."

Eric barely missed a beat before he told Pam, "Let them know we have arrived and will join them as soon as Sookie feeds."

Pam nodded and sped out of the room.

I was freaking out. Not only did I have to face the Magister and my ex again, but now I had to face the vampire who had set all these events in motion?

Eric was in front of me in the blink of an eye.

"The Queen?" I asked hoarsely.

He placed a finger on my lips and whispered in my ear. "Trust me. Everything will be okay, but you MUST keep calm. Do you understand?"

I nodded as I welcomed the waves of calm and reassurance that were flooding the bond.

"Now, you must feed."

I felt like I was on autopilot as I moved behind the unknown woman, licked her neck, and sank my fangs into her. She didn't taste particularly good and I was so distracted and fearful that I didn't have any problems stopping after I counted five mouthfuls of blood. I even remembered to seal the wound.

After she left the room, Eric kissed my temple and told me I did very well. He then took me by the shoulders and looked me square in the eyes. "Until the Queen and Magister leave, I command you to only speak or make a sound when I give you permission to do so."

I felt the command settle into my body and I looked up at him with thankful eyes. I didn't want to mess up and I didn't trust my emotions or reactions right now.

"Follow me." He said after giving my shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

I closed my eyes for a moment to center myself and then followed him out of the office.

I felt like I was going to face a firing squad.

When we entered the main bar area, the Magister and a red headed female were sitting on the dais in our thrones while five vampires dressed in all black stood at attention in various places throughout the bar. Bill was sitting to the left of the stage staring holes through me and sneering at Eric.

"Magister. Your Majesty." Eric nodded to them both as he brought us both to a stop at the base of the dais.

"Sheriff." The Magister answered. "I see that you have fulfilled your task. Have you had any difficulties?"

"Nothing I could not handle." Eric answered blandly.

"That's what I like to hear." He drawled as he sat back in Eric's throne. "So, tell us. Has she retained her telepathy?"

"Yes, Magister."

"Does it include vampires?" The woman, whom I assumed was the Queen, asked.

"No, Your Majesty."

"That's very good." The Magister said with a nod. "Has she any other abilities?"

I wished they'd just ask me. I felt like a prized cow up for auction.

"Yes, Magister. She has the ability to fly."

I saw several eyebrows go up in the room including the Queen and the Magister's.

"Really? And so young?" The Magister mused. "She has great promise to exhibit an ability as a newborn. How did you discover it?"

"I tested her for the ability by using the Maker's command." Eric replied coolly.

"I knew you cared nothing for her! No Maker who cared for their child would execute such a potentially painful test." Bill said loudly before turning to the Magister and Queen. "You must see that she should be removed from his care. He . . ."

"Enough!" The Magister growled. "You are here only at the behest of your Queen, Mr. Compton. I suggest you hold your tongue or you will find yourself in a coffin beside your Maker. He is her Maker, her bonded, and you can smell he is her mate. No one will be taking her away from him."

Bill hissed quietly but didn't say anything further.

"What made you decide to do the test?" The Queen pressed unhappily.

"I predicted the Magister would ask about her abilities and I have the ability to fly. It seemed a reasonable ability to test."

"And what of her fairy abilities?" The Queen nearly sang and it was obvious she hoped to surprise Eric.

Eric didn't miss a beat as he responded calmly. "She does not seem to have retained her ability."

The Magister raised an eyebrow. "You knew of an ability before she was turned?"

I was shocked that the Magister didn't seem to find anything surprising about the fact that I was part fairy, but I could only assume that the Queen had told him of my heritage.

"She manifested an ability after she had my blood."

"You believe your blood was strong enough to awaken her power."

"Yes. Magister"

The Magister turned his attention to me. "What Fae ability did you have?"

I looked to Eric and he nodded for me to answer. I felt his Maker's command lighten so I could speak. "I was able to shoot light out of my hands at people."

"Impressive." He said thoughtfully before continuing. "And you can no longer do this?"

"It did not respond to the Maker's command test, Magister." I said truthfully without mentioning Eric's thoughts that it might not work the same way for fairy powers.

The Magister seemed to accept my answer and was about to speak before the Queen interrupted him.

"Sheriff, in light of your new child and her abilities, I have asked the Authority to relieve you of your current responsibilities so I may move you both to New Orleans. Your child's ability will be of much better use at my headquarters than in this small corner of our state."

I felt my anger and fear rise with her words, but Eric's command kept me from mouthing off. A part of me was grateful while the rest of me was frustrated.

Although I felt Eric's anger and resentment, he responded calmly with a nod, "Whatever your Majesty feels needs to be done."

"As with your request to be this newborn's Maker, the Authority has decided to deny your request." The Magister said with a stern voice. "They feel the young one would learn best away from Court."

"What?" The Queen's face was suddenly livid. "This is my Sheriff, my telepath, and my Queendom. I say who . . ."

"The _Authority_ says who goes where _and_ who rules, _Majesty._" The Magister interrupted her with a sneer. "Perhaps you should remember that."

The room was suddenly awash with tension and the Queen eventually sat back down in my throne. When the Magister finally looked away from the Queen, he turned his attention back to Eric.

"I must leave for Missouri to handle a dispute there." He said passively. "However, before I go, I have been asked to relay a message."

"Magister?" Eric asked and I could feel his confusion. I could only assume that he was confused as to who would send him a message through the Magister.

As the Magister stood, he spoke directly to Eric. "The Sheriff of Area Nine in Texas has gone missing."

* * *

A/N: So. . . what did you think?


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Sorry I've been gone for a couple of weeks. Real life has been busy. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Northman Maille is the best beta EVER!

Disclaimer: I don't own it. I just play with others' universes.

* * *

_Previously:_

_The room was suddenly awash with tension and the Queen eventually sat back down in my throne. When the Magister finally looked away from the Queen, he turned his attention back to Eric._

_"I must leave for Missouri to handle a dispute there." He said passively. "However, before I go, I have been asked to relay a message."_

_"Magister?" Eric asked and I could feel his confusion. I could only assume that he was confused as to who would send him a message through the Magister._

_As the Magister stood, he spoke directly to Eric. "The Sheriff of Area Nine in Texas has gone missing."_

* * *

Eric noticeably stiffened and the bond was suddenly alive with tension, worry, and anger. The sheer force of it almost made me doubled over.

"A telepath would be very helpful when investigating the humans that may be involved." The Magister spoke while starting to walk towards the door.

"We will leave immediately." Eric said forcefully.

"Absolutely not." The Queen said as she stood up and joined us where we were standing. "I will not allow you to serve another state."

"You were not asked, your _Majesty_." The Magister said with disgust before stopping ten feet from the door and settling his attention back on Eric. "I will inform the Authority that you and your child will be traveling to Dallas to investigate."

Suddenly the overwhelming emotions in our bond made sense to me.

_Dallas. _

_Sheriff._

The missing Sheriff was Eric's Maker.

I was distracted from my epiphany as the Magister spoke again. "The Fellowship is rumored to be involved. Perhaps your child will be better equipped to gather information than the vampires of Texas."

"Yes, Magister." Eric seethed and I could feel that he was barely containing his rage at the thought of his Maker being taken.

"I'd like to offer the assistance of my area Investigator." The Queen said in an obnoxiously sweet voice. "Mr. Compton is excellent with computers and may be of some use in the investigation."

The Magister glared at the Queen. "I've seen enough of your Mr. Compton to know he would only be a hindrance to their mission, Sophie Ann."

The Queen looked ready to protest when the Magister's voice cut across her, "Do not interfere, Your Majesty. This is not a simple case of a disappearing Sheriff. If the Fellowship is involved, then they were able to capture one of the oldest vampire in this country and _none_ of us are safe. The Authority is very concerned about the situation."

"Very well." The Queen reluctantly agreed before turning to face Eric. "I expect nightly updates and you will both visit my court once you have returned from your trip."

Eric nodded curtly as the Queen breezed past us with Bill and some of the guards following in her wake. The Magister waited until the Queen had left the room before speaking again.

"The _AVL_ expects you to handle this issue discretely." The Magister spoke with an obvious subtext that I was not able to comprehend with my limited knowledge of vampire politics.

Eric nodded and the Magister was gone in the next moment. I instantly felt the command that was keeping me silent lift so I turned to speak to Eric.

He was already gone.

I panicked for a moment thinking he had left without me until I heard him moving around in his office and felt him close by through our bond. I used my vampire speed to join him and I found Pam already sitting on the couch. She nodded silently towards the seat beside her and I wordlessly followed her direction.

Eric was already on the phone making travel reservations. Even though his exterior mask of calm was in place, my emotions felt overridden by his turmoil. He was feeling an incredible amount of rage and worry. I was no longer feeling any calming effects from our bond and I suddenly wished that Eric's cool confidence would return. Now more than ever I realized that he was my anchor and without his calming influence I was a ship adrift in a hurricane of emotions and thoughts, that were beginning to swirl out of control.

Suddenly I felt like I was worrying about everything at once.

What was the Queen's game and how were we going to stay ahead of her? Why was Bill always around? Did he really think he could convince me to love him again? Why did the Magister mention the AVL like he didn't support them? When would we be leaving? I hoped I'd be helpful and not embarrass myself. And didn't we need to pack something? Should I be doing something right now instead of just sitting here? I felt so overwhelmed and mixed up.

My head suddenly cleared somewhat and I looked up to Pam since Eric was still on the phone. I knew what I needed.

"I need to feed."

Pam looked at me for a moment and then looked at Eric for approval. He nodded to her before he threw a stern look of warning towards me that I interpreted as a reminder to behave myself. We took that as our tacit approval to leave the room and Pam led us out of the office.

When we were alone in the mostly deserted bar area, I asked Pam the most important thing I needed to know at the moment. "How do I block him from the bond, Pam? His emotions are overwhelming me."

"You can't block it completely." She said in her normal bored tone.

"I know, but even a little will be something." I felt like I couldn't concentrate on anything and I didn't see his emotions getting better anytime soon. Probably not until we found Godric.

"Fine. You could try sending him calm or confidence by thinking about the emotion and visualizing pushing it in his direction." I nodded to show I was following along. "You can also dampen what you feel from the bond by using a type of mental shield. I would venture to guess it would be similar to the shields you use with your telepathy, but you are probably too young to do it."

"I don't have enough calm for myself let alone trying to send him any." I said quickly. "I'll try to dampen the bond then . . . "

"You. Will. Not. " Eric's voice boomed behind us and I felt a chill travel up my spine right before he grabbed my elbow and pulled me back into him. "What are you doing?" He growled.

I swallowed uselessly. "Trying to tone down your emotions in the bond, Eric. They're suffocating me. I can't think."

"You will not attempt to dampen our bond unless I say to do so. Do you understand?" I didn't feel the weight of a command, so he didn't use his power as my Maker, but I was still shocked by his reaction. Seemingly feeling my confusion amongst all his own emotions, he answered my silent question.

"The bond is there for a reason and is not to be ignored. I will not allow you to run from it whenever it suits you. You will learn to adapt and use it to your advantage."

Before I could say anything in response, Eric turned to address Pam. "Go to my home and pack bags for Sookie and myself. You will stay and run the bar and the area while we are gone. Go now."

Pam nodded and was gone in the next second.

Eric's emotions were still reeling with rage and concern but now he had added annoyance to the mix. Well, that was fine because I was annoyed with him as well. How was I supposed to know he didn't want me learning to dampen the bond yet? Maybe he should tell me things like that if they are so important. I'm only a couple of days old and he expects me to just anticipate his thoughts and orders. He acts like . . .

"Feed."

Eric's voice broke me out of my annoyed thoughts and brought my attention to the bony, blonde woman he had led over to stand in front of me. I didn't think about anything else except feeding once my attention was brought to her, and her exposed neck. I immediately sped to stand in front of her and sink my fangs in her pulse point.

Her blood was bland compared to the earlier fangbangers I had tasted and I decided I wouldn't be feeding from her again. However, my problem surfaced when I heard her pulse start to slow but I couldn't bring myself to stop feeding. I was angry, annoyed, and hungry. I wanted more and she would give it to me. I kept drinking her blood deciding that she could spare a little more than her pulse indicated.

"Stop." Eric's voice held a command that my body couldn't deny and I immediately disengaged and sealed her wounds.

The fangbanger swayed in front of me and I immediately felt remorse.

I would have drained her.

Eric took the woman over to a booth and she laid her head down on the table. I started to go over to offer my assistance when Eric glanced in my direction and pointed towards his office. I hung my head as I sped to the back. I entered his office and flopped down on the couch before putting my head in my hands.

"We don't have time for your remorse right now." Eric said harshly as he entered the office.

"I would have drained her!" I cried out indignantly. "I just fed an hour ago and I was going to drain her!"

"You are feeling my bloodlust through the bond. That is why you needed to feed and why you couldn't stop."

I jumped up from the couch and stood in front of him. "Then get yourself under control instead of taking it out on me! What happened to your centuries of learned calm in chaotic situations?"

Eric's jaw set and his face looked as hard as stone as he stared at me.

I instantly realized my mistake in challenging him and confronting him, but my stubborn nature took over.

I didn't flinch from his stare. Instead, I set my own jaw and stared right back at him.

Shockingly, I felt pride and a bit of amusement through the bond.

Huh?

Eric relaxed his rigid posture and leaned in to kiss me on the forehead before walking away and sitting down behind his desk.

What the hell just happened?

"You have more strength and courage than you know, Sookie. I admire that. _However,_ think carefully before challenging me again as you will not like the outcome if you are wrong."

I blinked uselessly for several seconds before mindlessly walking back over to the couch and sitting down. I immediately noticed that I felt calmer and more centered. The rage and concern were still in the bond but they were being smothered behind determination and calm.

Did Eric just admit that I was right?

Well, that was a first.

* * *

Several hours later, our chartered plane landed in Dallas and we were stepping out of our rental car to approach the Dallas nest's home. Eric had been relatively quiet since our confrontation in his office. I assumed he was using the time to plan and make contingency plans for those plans. He had only broken his silence once in order to remind me that I was to act like I would at Fangtasia while we were around the Dallas vampires.

As we approached the front door of the Dallas nest, it was pulled open and a beautiful vampire with long dark brown hair stepped forward wearing a pristine white suit. She seemed relieved to see us but her dark chocolate eyes were tense.

"Sheriff Northman." She greeted with a nod.

"Isabelle." He nodded in return before gesturing to me. "This is my new child Sookie Stackhouse."

"You are welcomed in our nest." She answered with another nod before leading us into the ranch style home.

When we followed Isabelle into the living room area, there was another vampire pacing around the room. He was tall, but still a few inches shorter than Eric. He had dark hair, broad shoulders, and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He was wearing a cowboy hat and boots. He looked like a stereotypical Texan.

"Stan." Eric greeted the other vampire and he nodded in return.

Guess I didn't warrant an introduction this time.

Whatever.

"I'm glad you're here, Eric." Isabelle started the conversation but was interrupted by Stan before she could continue.

"I don't see what he can do to help unless he can feel Godric through their bond and locate him." Stan spits out. "Can you feel him?"

"Regretfully, no. He is blocking our bond." Eric admits.

"See?" He gestures to Eric while speaking to Isabelle. "There was no reason to wait for him to arrive. We need to go to the Church and take back our Sheriff."

"We don't have any evidence that the Fellowship has him, Stan." Isabelle tried to reason with him. "If the Authority sent him here, then there must be a reason they thought he could help."

"We don't need any other vampire's help!" He spat out.

As the two vampires continued to argue and Eric started to get more angry and annoyed, I decided to do what I was supposedly brought here to do. I dropped my shields and listened.

There were four other voids in the house besides Isabelle, Stan, and Eric. They were spread out through the rest of the house and were each accompanied by a human brain. I flitted through their companions thoughts _quickly_ and determined that they were thinking the normal sex and biting thoughts of any fangbanger. However, towards the back of the house but not too far from where we were standing, was another human mind. I focused in on their thoughts, since they were the only person alone in the house.

_I can't understand them anymore. They are talking too fast. I wonder if the recording can be slowed down at the Church so we can hear them better. I hope they stay in that room because I haven't been able to bug the other ones. _

I stiffened instantly as I realized I'd found a spy for the Fellowship already. Eric stopped mid-sentence in his rant at Stan and stared at me.

_It's her fault._ He thought as I saw Isabelle's face in his mind. _She should have turned me when I asked. She's just using me like they all do._

"Sookie?" Eric question sounded like a command but Stan interrupted again before I could speak.

"Enough of this." He said as he started to leave but I sped off towards the spy before he could leave the room. I hoped they would follow me so we could talk outside of the room with the bug in it.

When I found the spy by following his brain, he was standing in the kitchen off the living room with his head near the doorway. He was shocked by my sudden appearance and tried to back up. I stepped forward and asked his name as the others showed up behind me.

"Hugo. I'm Isabelle's." He said quickly.

I made a disgusted sound and Isabelle quickly moved to stand between Hugo and myself.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked as Stan moved behind her to stand with fangs down.

Eric placed a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back behind him slightly. "My new child is a telepath. That is why we were sent here."

Surprise flitted across their faces and they both looked ready to ask questions but Eric was quickest.

"What did you hear?" He asked me.

I bowed my head slightly in deference, and against my inner feminist, before answering, "Hugo is a spy for the Fellowship. He has placed a bug in the living room. He is angry that Isabelle would not change him."

Stan grabbed Hugo and threw him against the wall where he held him by his neck. Isabelle's expression made her look broken hearted as she asked him if what I said were true.

Of course he couldn't answer when another vampire was holding his throat.

"I assure you that Sookie is never wrong." Eric said sternly and I felt a wave of warmth spread through me as I registered his confidence in my ability. "However, we should let him live while she ask more questions to see how much he knows."

_Shit. Can she really read my mind? God, I can't breathe. _

As Stan let go of Hugo's throat and he started coughing and sputtering to get his breath, I stepped forward. "Yes, Hugo. I can really read your mind."

_That's impossible._

"Completely possible." I answered him again. "Now, tell me where the bug is in the living room."

Predictably, he started telling himself not to think about it but ended up revealing that it was under the coffee table. Once I told the others, Stan sped away and came back with a small crushed device in his hand.

He still looked surprised and I realized he hadn't truly believed Eric's claim that I was a telepath.

Turning back to Hugo, I asked the most important question. "Do you know where Godric is?"

Again, Hugo tried to avoid me by directing his thoughts elsewhere, this time to a grocery list, but I still heard the Fellowship's plans.

Eric immediately felt my shock, disgust, and worry. He was in my face in a second, "Tell me now." He ordered.

"Godric was captured by the Fellowship with the help of another vampire who wants to meet the sun." Isabelle gasped. "They are forcing Godric to meet the sun tomorrow morning. Newlin is having a lock-in with the Fellowship members tonight, including women and children. He is going to surprise them all with the vampires silvered to a cross at sunrise."

Eric growled menacingly and was joined in his rage by Stan. I wasn't sure at the moment which one of them was more eager for bloodshed.

"Who is the other vampire?"

I listened to Hugo's thoughts after Eric asked the question but I didn't get an answer.

"He doesn't know." I said as I shook my head. "He only knows the high level plan. He wasn't a part of Godric's capture."

"Does he know where Godric is at the church?" Stan asked.

"No, but I can find him if we get close enough."

Isabelle and Stan tensed and I immediately recognized my mistake. Eric was a step ahead of me however and explained before I could.

"She cannot hear vampire thoughts but she can locate our minds. They are a void or black hole to her." Eric explained before turning back to me. "How close do you need to be?"

I thought about it for a moment before answering. "I know I could feel him from about two hundred yards."

Eric nodded. "Then we will get you close enough to find him and then we can go in and get him."

"We should kill the power first." I said quickly before I even thought through my words.

They all looked at me with confusion and I shrugged. "If they have bugs in your nest, then they will definitely have security cameras. Plus, we can get in and out while they are confused by the blackout."

"What do you mean _in and out_?" Stan asked indignantly. "We're not going to just let them be."

Eric answered him in an annoyed tone. "The _AVL_ expects us to do just that."

Isabelle tried to be the voice of reason. "We can't just go in a slaughter hundreds of humans. We should retrieve the Sheriff and consider our revenge later."

Eric's answer came from between clenched teeth. "Agreed."

I could feel from our bond that he wasn't happy with the proposal but he would do what had to be done to protect his Maker.

"Fine." Stan spit out. "But if they attack us while we are there, then I'm not holding back."

Before another word could be spoken, Stan snapped Hugo's neck, dropped him in the kitchen floor, and left out the back door. Eric and Isabelle followed him immediately but I was still staring at Hugo's limp body. My stunned state was quickly remedied, however, when I heard Eric call for me to follow them.

I would have to consider my role in Hugo's death later.

When I exited the house, the three of them were already in an SUV in the driveway. As I climbed in, I turned to Eric.

"Should we take donors with us since he's probably injured?"

Isabelle hopped back out of the SUV, "I'll get some bagged blood."

In a flash, she was gone and back again with a cooler that she placed in the back of the car. She was barely settled in the passenger seat when Stan peeled out of the driveway and we were off to save Godric.

As I sat back in my seat and tried to ready myself for what was to come, I could easily feel Eric's bloodlust rising and I could see from Stan's rigid form that he was ready for a fight.

I instantly started worrying that Stan wouldn't be able to control himself long enough to stick to our plan.

Then I began worrying that _I_ wouldn't be able to control _myself_ since my bond with Eric was overflowing with barely contained bloodlust.

Most of all though, I was worrying about Eric. I had a feeling that all the plans in the world wouldn't be able to control Eric if we didn't get to Godric in time.

* * *

A/N: Please review and tell me what you think about my direction with the story. Thanks for reading!


	28. Chapter 28

__A/N: I apologize immensley for my unexpected long hiatus. I had a plan in mind for the story that ended up not working. My muse got stuck for a couple of months and real life also limited my time writing. Anyway, I really hope you'll forgive me and that this chapter makes for a nice 'happy holidays' present. I've really appreciated all the love I've gotten through reviews and PMs. Don't worry. No matter how long it takes, I will finish this story.

Huge thanks to my beta and friend, Northman Maille. She really had her work cut out for her on this one and I appreciate that she got it back to me so quickly. Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I just play with the toys in the universe.

* * *

_Previously: _

_As I sat back in my seat and tried to ready myself for what was to come, I could easily feel Eric's bloodlust rising and I could see from Stan's rigid form that he was ready for a fight. _

_I instantly started worrying that Stan wouldn't be able to control himself long enough to stick to our plan._

_Then I began worrying that I wouldn't be able to control myself since my bond with Eric was overflowing with barely contained bloodlust. _

_Most of all though, I was worrying about Eric. I had a feeling that all the plans in the world wouldn't be able to control Eric if we didn't get to Godric in time. _

* * *

Twenty minutes passed before Stan pulled off the main road and drove for a few hundred feet down a dirt road, surrounded by tall trees and thick underbrush. When he stopped the car and killed the engine, he and Isabel turned slightly in their seats to face me and Eric.

"This is a dead end road, but we can cut through the woods and be only a hundred feet or so from the main church. If he isn't there, then we can move along the perimeter while you scan the buildings. The place is surrounded by woods."

I nodded while Eric spoke, "Do you know where their main power line is located?"

"Yes, there's a transformer near the main entrance." Isabelle answered. "Once we locate the Sheriff, Stan can uproot a nearby tree to disrupt the power supply."

I had to give Isabelle credit for giving the job to Stan. I didn't think he should be anywhere near the church if we wanted to leave without bloodshed.

To be honest, I wasn't sure Eric should be going inside either.

But I wasn't going to tell him that.

Once everyone was out of the SUV, Eric and I trailed behind the Texas vampires as they led us, at inhuman speeds, through the dark woods. We made our way into a tall grove of trees, nestled up behind the large, and somewhat ostentatious looking, church. We had barely stopped moving when Eric looked at me with a raised eyebrow and impatience radiating from the bond.

Guess that was my cue.

I closed my eyes in order to concentrate as much as possible, and I let my mind drift over the people in the building.

"There's about a hundred people in the building." Without opening my eyes, I started telling them what I found as I scanned. I was sure to keep my voice low enough only the vampires with me could hear. "All the women and children are in the sanctuary with a few men. The rest of the men are spread out throughout the building and they are all armed with silver chains, guns with silver bullets, and wooden stakes."

I heard Stan let out a barely audible "Hmph."

I found the noise to be a surprisingly human sound to escape such a bloodthirsty vampire. More importantly, however, it indicated how little he thought of humans – even armed humans.

"What else?" Eric hissed, and I was pulled out of my thoughts abruptly.

I really needed something to help with my wandering mind. This was not the time to loose my concentration.

Deciding to fight my inward wayward ramblings, I refocused on the task at hand and looked for 'bubbles' in the church, indicating vampire minds.

It didn't take long.

"There's two vampires inside." I heard someone shift their weight but my eyes were still closed and I didn't know who it was. "They are in the basement. I can't feel any humans near them." I paused as I studied the bubbles some more. "One of them hasn't moved but the other is pacing." I considered for another moment. "I'm not sure but I don't think they are in the same room."

"Are any of the doors unguarded?" Isabelle asked.

I shook my head before offering more information. "The main door is the least guarded. They don't expect trouble to knock on the _front_ door."

Eric's voice was heated with hate as he spoke, "We'll have to disprove that theory."

I was still concentrating on the bubbles in the basement when a sudden realization hit me and I opened my eyes.

"Is Godric twice your age?" I asked quickly.

Eric blinked in surprise at my question before he stared into my eyes and slowly nodded his confirmation.

I turned to Isabelle. "And you are about half Eric's age?"

While Isabelle nodded confusedly, Eric continued to stare at me.

Stan, however, didn't like waiting for answers.

"How do you know this? And what does it have to do with getting back our Sheriff?" He sneered angrily.

I answered quickly to avoid increasing the tension surrounding us. "I only just realized the size of a vampire's void, or bubble, in my mind relates to their age."

Eric looked at me for a moment longer before nodding, "This is definitely useful and we will have to test it further at a later time. For now, how old do you believe the second vampire in the basement to be?"

I'm sure that if my face didn't show my concern than our bond probably radiated it. "That's the problem. I'm sure the vampire not moving is Godric." Eric nodded in response as I continued. "The vampire pacing feels like he's maybe five hundred years older than Godric."

"I see," was Eric's only response as he straightened slightly and looked in the direction of the church.

After a couple of moments of silence within our group, Isabel's voice startled me slightly. "The older vampire must be a renouncer."

While Eric and Stan nodded, I could only look on in confusion. Isabel, seeing that I didn't understand her statement, clarified her words for me. "In rare cases, those who have turned vampire come to hate their lives and feel that they must help destroy the race in order to atone for their believed sins. Other times, vampires simply grow tired of their existence and meet the sun, but they do not seek to punish our race."

I nodded to show my understanding and turned to look at Eric. He seemed to be contemplating Isabelle's words but I could also see the wheels turning in his mind.

"Since this older vampire helped to abduct Godric in order to force him to meet the sun, we must assume he is the first type of renouncer. As such, he will be even more dangerous because he doesn't care for his existence." Eric paused and looked at me. "You haven't been trained to fight yet so your job will be to free Godric."

I nodded in response. I knew I didn't have a chance against a 2500 year old vampire.

"I'm sure Godric is being held by silver." He hissed between clinched teeth. "Be sure you cover your hands before trying to free him."

"Here." Isabelle spoke as she reached into a bag she was carrying over her shoulder. "I brought gloves."

I took the offered black leather gloves and pulled them over my hands.

"Good." Eric nodded once in approval before continuing. "Isabelle and I will distract the older vampire to give you time to free Godric."

He reached for the cooler of blood that Stan was carrying. "We may need Godric's assistance in order to defeat the renouncer. You will need to give him the donor blood as quickly as possible."

I swallowed uselessly as the severity of our situation started to sink in.

We were going into a Fellowship church where dozens of human men were armed with anti-vampire weapons. Not to mention the crazed vampire renouncer, who was much older than any of the vampires on our side, and he had no reason to fear final death.

Just as I was about to suggest we get more help, because I was starting to fully comprehend our predicament, I felt a strong wave of strength and reassurance enter me through the bond.

"We would wait for reinforcements from Godric's area, but dawn is nearing and we know they plan to sacrifice him then."

Understanding what Eric was saying, I worked against my fear and embraced the feelings coming from the bond.

"I understand." I managed to say without an ounce of my fear leaking through into my voice.

I felt Eric's pride in me course through the bond as he turned to address Stan. "After you knock out the power, join us in the basement."

"I wouldn't miss it."

* * *

Behind the tree line, fifty feet from the main entrance to the church, Eric, Isabelle, and I waited for Stan to knock out the power, before forcing our entrance. We had only been waiting a couple of minutes when we heard a series of large crackles, a ground shaking thud, and a resounding boom.

Then the lights flickered off and we started to emerge from the tree line when several lights flickered back on.

"They must have a back-up generator." Eric hissed quickly as we all halted in our movements.

"I'll find it and join you later." Isabelle answered, before she was suddenly gone.

I took a small step forward to stand next to Eric. I wanted to reach out to him as I observed his rigid form and felt his tension and worry, but I knew instinctively now was not the time.

"Are the vampires still in the same place?" Eric spoke softly but firmly, his voice startling me in the quiet surrounding us.

I concentrated on the building and the voids inside. "Neither of them are moving now and the older one seems to be closer to Godric."

Eric growled low and looked like he was getting ready to speak, when we noticed movement around the church.

Ten men came pouring out of the front door and started running in a military like form towards the direction I knew Stan went to kill the main power supply.

"We can't wait any longer. They suspect someone has come for Godric and they may do something rash." Eric seethed, before looking down at me with fire in his eyes. "We will use our speed to get past the humans and into the basement. You will follow my lead. Do you understand?"

My gloved hands tightened around the handle of the small cooler I carried. "Yes, Eric. I understand."

Shocking me immensely, Eric's eyes softened a little and he quickly leaned down to kiss me on the middle of my forehead. "Do not worry. We will survive this night together."

Before I could recover from my surprise at Eric's untimely sweetness, he was moving at vampire speed towards the church, and I was following on his heels.

As luck would have it, when we were only about five feet out of the tree line, the remaining power source must have been destroyed, since the compound was thrust into darkness. I could see only a very small amount of light coming through a couple of windows, and a quick glance in their direction revealed the light was coming from emergency exit signs. Nothing to worry about now, any cameras would be without power.

As we approached the front door of the church at vampire speed, I opened my mind to scan the other side of the entrance.

There were five humans guarding the door.

I whispered this information to Eric in a low tone that only a vampire would hear. He nodded in response, before surprising me by picking me up bridal style and flying up into the air.

We had just arrived at a spot hovering above the entrance when I felt all the guards direct their attention to a hallway opposite the front door.

"I'll lead them away from the door and join you as soon as I can," came Isabelle's quiet voice as I 'saw' the guards all focus their attention on her and start chasing her down one of the church's long hallways.

"The door's unguarded now." I informed Eric, and he quickly set me down on the ground and reached to open the door.

Surprisingly enough, it was unlocked, but unfortunately, the doorknob was also made of silver.

It was a testament to how focused Eric was on getting to Godric that he didn't notice the silver before he touched it.

He hissed softly and removed his hand from the door. I didn't wait for his invitation before I used my gloved hand to open it.

As I had said, the entryway was empty behind the door.

We walked into the middle of the large foyer and stopped to glance at each other. I think we both realized we didn't know the way to the basement.

Before we could make a plan to find our way through the church, we turned around, as we felt someone else nearing the church.

"In case things went badly, Godric had us study the church layout from the plans filed with the city, when it was built as their headquarters." Stan explained, as he walked in and went towards the left hand hallway. "Follow me."

Within five seconds, we were standing in front of another wooden door.

"This leads down some stairs to the basement." Stan explained.

I reached out with my mind and found the vampires again. "There are no humans down there. They have left the renouncer to guard him."

They both nodded and Stan reached out to open the door. I reached out to stop him before he made contact with the doorknob.

"Silver." I answered his questioning look.

Again, I was thankful for the gloves, as I turned the knob and pushed open the door.

The stairway down to the basement was almost pitch black, but of course that didn't mean anything for vampires.

We sped to the bottom of the staircase and stopped again. Eric and Stan both looked at me. They didn't have to speak. I understood the question.

The basement had one large concrete bunker style room with a long hallway stretching out from it. There were three doorways on each side of the hallway. It was easy to locate the vampire minds.

"The last door on the left. They are both in there." I said, hoping the older vampire couldn't hear my words.

There was no more planning to be done, and no more words to be said. Stan led the way down the hallway, followed by Eric, and I brought up the rear. As we approached the door, I reminded myself my responsibility was releasing Godric, and giving him blood so that he could help the others. The fighting couldn't distract me.

The next two minutes would feel like hours, days, or weeks had passed. It was unbelievable how much could happen so quickly.

Stan ignored the doorknob and kicked open the door. He took one step forward and Eric and I breezed in behind him with Eric going to the right, while I stepped to the left.

My right foot had not even touched the ground, when Stan's head dropped and his body disintegrated into a glob on the floor.

With my vampire mind, I was able to assess everything in the room in the milli-second before anyone moved.

Godric was chained in silver against a wall to my right. He was taller than me but much shorter than Eric. I would guess he stood about five feet ten. He had dark hair and dark brown eyes. His neck was secured to the wall, but his eyes were focused on Eric. He wore only a stained pair of white linen pants and his toned body was covered in tattoos. He had deep cuts in strategic places on his body, and the ground was covered in dried blood.

I understood immediately.

They had been bleeding him to keep him weak.

Tearing my gaze away from Godric, I focused on the renouncer. He was slightly taller than Godric, but a couple of inches shorter than Eric. He also had short dark hair and brown eyes. On his arms, and neck, I could see several tattoos, but my eyes were more interested in the thin silver chain that was only just now falling from the air.

And I understood.

The renouncer had wrapped the chain around Stan's neck when he entered and used the thin, wire-like, chain to slice through his neck and kill him. Permanently.

In that moment I truly doubted our survival, but I shook off my thoughts and focused on my task.

Release Godric.

Without risking a glance at Eric, I moved to stand in front of Godric.

What felt like a lifetime since we entered, was only mere seconds, but I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders.

As the sound of an intense battle reached my ears, I shut it out and started to pull the silver chains from the wall. Even though I knew Godric must be in pain as I moved his chains around, he didn't make a sound.

I freed his right hand first, and reached down to the cooler filled with blood to hand the bag to Godric. He didn't seem to have the strength to lift his arm to put the blood in his mouth so I pushed it into his mouth and left it there. After all, he didn't need to breathe.

He took the hint and I heard his fangs sink into the bag followed by a sucking sound, as I released his other hand and started to release his neck.

"More." I heard him whisper softly as the bag, fell from his mouth. I stopped working on the chains and reached down for a second bag of blood.

We repeated this pattern while I removed the remainder of his chains, giving him a third and fourth bag.

He did not look at me while I worked. He kept his eyes trained on the battle behind me. That is until I gasped and grabbed my side.

I saw Godric's eyes flash to me for just a moment before they settled back on the scene behind me.

As for myself, I ignored everything but Godric. I couldn't think about what was going on behind me, or what I was feeling through the bond. I realized that the pain in my side was actually Eric's, and it was tremendous.

I had to get Godric free and fed so he could help my Maker.

It probably only took a minute for me to feed and free him, but it felt like hours. However, the moment I freed Godric from the last of the chains, he was gone and joining the fray behind me.

The speed at which he whipped past me knocked me on my butt and I turned quickly to watch what happened next.

Even with my vampire sight, I couldn't follow all the action that occurred in the next minute. I heard grunts and groans and I saw blood spray from the quickly moving bodies, but they were a thousand years older than me, at their youngest, and they moved faster than my mind could process.

I wanted to help, but I knew instinctively that I would only be in the way and get myself killed if I tried.

I stood up slowly against the wall and hugged myself as the battle raged on. I thought of Isabelle and wondered if she would be here soon. Would she be the one to tip the scales in our advantage over this ancient vampire?

Suddenly, the blurring bodies in front of me stopped moving.

Godric stood facing Eric with at least two feet between them. The renouncer stood behind Eric with the thin chain wrapped loosely around Eric's neck.

I whimpered.

"Godfrey." Godric spoke calmly but firmly. "Brother."

Huh? Brother?

"We are not brothers. We are dark, soulless creatures simply created by the same monster." The renouncer, Godfrey, responded harshly. "We have no families. We are the destroyer of families."

I saw a thin line of blood start to seep from Eric's neck, as Godfrey pulled the silver wire a little tighter. I felt Eric's pain through the bond but he kept his face impassive as he stared at Godric.

"Do you truly believe we have the right to exist?" Godfrey sneered. "We are an abomination. Join me as I help clean the world of our vileness. Then we shall seek our judgment with the dawn."

Godric's head tilted slightly to the left. "Release Eric and I will join your cause."

The laugh that came from Godfrey was manic and would have raised the hairs on the back of my neck if I were still human. "You think me naïve? That I would believe you sincere in your wish to join me, when you try to save another soulless creature with the same breath?"

I saw the wire grow tighter and sink further into Eric's skin. "You have made your choice." Godfrey spit out harshly. "I will end this one before continuing with my plans to see you burn at dawn."

When I saw the muscles in Godfrey's hand start to tighten, I knew he was going to do it. He was going to kill Eric.

I didn't think about what would happen next if Eric died. I didn't think about how my life would end when Eric's did. In truth, I didn't think at all.

I only _felt._

I only felt the fear of losing Eric.

_My_ Eric.

Of their own accord, my hands flew up in a stop motion as I took an unconscious step forward and screamed a firm but resounding, "NO!"

My entire body felt like it was on fire, as a tingling started at my toes and traveled quickly throughout my body and concentrated in my hands. An incredibly bright and hot light burst from my hand and shot across the room to hit Godfrey where he stood behind Eric.

Before I could blink, what was left of Godfrey, mere ashes, floated through the air and settled on the floor.

I know my mouth was gaping open as I started shaking my head back and forth. My whole body was trembling as I backed away from the sight before me until my back hit the wall behind me.

I wasn't overcome with relief because I had saved Eric, or that the 'bad guy' was gone. I couldn't feel any release from the tension of the night when I had just reduced someone to ashes with the mere flick of a hand.

Before I could complete my mental breakdown and spin out of control, Eric was standing in front of me with his hands on my shoulder. My eyes were just high enough on his chest to see the blood that still fell from his wound on his neck.

"Sookie," Eric said forcefully. "Look at me."

I heard the command in his voice and I looked up into his deep blue eyes.

"I command you to tell no one of this power unless I tell you otherwise. Do you understand?"

I nodded numbly.

"Say it, Sookie." He shook my shoulders lightly.

"I understand." I managed to croak out.

He nodded and scooped me up into his arms in a bridal hold once again. I noticed Godric was standing behind him.

As we walked out the door, Eric spoke softly. "Sookie, is there anyone outside of the door from the basement?"

Trying to pull myself together, I reached out with my mind to feel for any minds.

"No one's in the hallway but the front door is blocked."

Eric nodded and carried me up the stairs. Part of me wanted to tell him that I could walk but the larger part of me was still in shock. So, I let him carry me.

When we emerged into the hallway, Godric took the lead and opened a door straight across from the basement entrance. He seemingly ignored the silver burning his hand as he turned the doorknob.

I guess a little silver burn was nothing compared to what he'd just suffered through.

Once we were inside, Godric closed the door and led us over to a large set of windows. He unlocked them and pushed them open. Before I could comprehend anything else, we were all flying out into the night.

Hmm. Godric could fly. I guess that's where Eric and I got it from.

Thinking of my gift of flying made me think about what I'd done to Godfrey. I wasn't ready to think about that again just yet, so I looked back down at the church instead.

I was just about to remind Eric about Isabelle when he spoke in a normal tone, "Isabelle, meet us at the SUV."

I don't know how Eric knew Isabelle could hear him but, as we flew towards the woods hiding our vehicle, I saw a streak of movement indicating Isabelle was below us.

Barely a minute later, we all silently climbed into the SUV, and Isabelle was gunning the engine as she guided us back onto the highway.

* * *

A/N: Please leave me a review and let me know what you think about my take on the Fellowship rescue. Thanks for reading!


	29. Chapter 29

__A/N: Thank you all SO VERY MUCH for your continued support of this story. Your response to the last chapter pushed 'Selfless' over the 2000 review mark! I'm so excited and I can't believe the response this story has received. I'm so grateful for you all! Thank you!

This chapter is a shorter than most but it came to a natural end. Plus, I'm doing my best to get updates out more often so I thought you'd prefer a short chapter over no chapter. I hope I'm right.

As always, lots of love for my beta, Northman Maille. She's wonderfully supportive and a great friend. Thanks for all that you do.

Disclaimer: I don't own the toys. I'm just playing with the universe.

* * *

_Previously: _

_Thinking of my gift of flying made me think about what I'd done to Godfrey. I wasn't ready to think about that again just yet, so I looked back down at the church instead._

_I was just about to remind Eric about Isabelle when he spoke in a normal tone, "Isabelle, meet us at the SUV."_

_I don't know how Eric knew Isabelle could hear him but, as we flew towards the woods hiding our vehicle, I saw a streak of movement indicating Isabelle was below us._

_Barely a minute later, we all silently climbed into the SUV, and Isabelle was gunning the engine as she guided us back onto the highway. _

* * *

No one spoke as we sped away from the Fellowship church and, unfortunately, that meant I had plenty of time to get lost in my thoughts.

And my thoughts were not filled with romantic sunsets, bouquets of roses, or even simple relief of getting out of the church alive. I wasn't even distracted by the pain radiating from Eric's wounds.

No, instead my thoughts were filled with fear, guilt, and anxiety.

I had killed someone.

Yes, that someone was going to kill my Maker and probably Godric, and then me, but he was still a person.

Well, a _vampire_ but still someone with thoughts and feelings.

And _I _had killed him.

Worse. I had killed him with very little effort.

But the worst part – the absolute _worst_ part - about what I'd done was the difference between what I'd done to Godfrey and what happened with Amy.

I hadn't known what would happen in either situation. I didn't consciously decide to use my new power or suspect the consequences when I did. However, with Amy, her death could be blamed on karma or simple bad luck.

I may have hit her with my light trick, but it was her fall against the stick that truly killed her. _I _hadn't wanted her dead or thought about really harming her. I just wanted her a safe distance from my brother.

But with Godfrey . . .

I closed my eyes briefly as I felt a strong wave of calm and acceptance fill the bond. Part of me wanted to try to bat the feelings away because I felt I deserved to suffer for taking a life. However, I was feeling the need to be selfish as I could feel myself starting to spin out of control. I didn't want to lose control in front of Isabelle and Godric.

I opened my eyes and glanced discreetly at Eric and nodded slightly.

He added a wave of pride to the bond before facing forward again as the SUV turned to pull into a short driveway.

We were back at the Dallas nest.

Everyone got out of the vehicle quickly and started towards the front door, but I hesitated. Slowly, I got out of the SUV and I stood frozen by the door.

Eric stopped on his way to the house and turned back to me with a raised eyebrow. "Sookie?"

I glanced at Isabelle and Godric to see they had also stopped moving towards the house and were looking at me. I looked back at Eric and bit my bottom lip slightly. I wasn't sure if I was able to say what I wanted to say in front of them.

"Isabelle," Godric spoke softly but with command. "Go inside and heat the bagged blood for all of us. We will be in shortly."

When Isabelle was gone and the door had closed behind her, Godric nodded at Eric.

"What is it, Sookie?" Eric commanded.

I glanced once more at Godric before biting the bullet and responding to Eric's questioning. "I don't think it's safe here, Eric."

Before I could get a hint of Eric's response to my words through the bond or he could answer me, Godric's soft voice floated to my ears. "Why is that?"

I swallowed uselessly before looking at Godric to respond, "I found a Fellowship spy here earlier . . . umm, Sir." I added on the sir quickly as I wasn't sure how I was supposed to address my Maker's Maker so I fell back on my Southern upbringing. "I haven't had an opportunity to scan the rest of the humans here and there could be more. Also, they obviously know where this house is and they're gonna be real mad when they find out we freed you. They're fanatics and could do something desperate in their anger."

Godric's face didn't show any reaction to my words as he probed further. "Scan?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed softly as I glanced at Eric. Of course, Godric didn't know anything about me yet. "I can read human minds."

In a very Eric-like gesture, he raised his eyebrow and turned his gaze to meet Eric's.

Eric nodded before adding, "She was telepathic before she was turned. She can also read Weres but not as easily and freely as humans. We are not sure about other species yet."

"I see." He said calmly before looking back to me. He still didn't show any emotion on his face or in his voice. "This house is a known location for my area vampires to gather and interact for business. Much like my child's bar but more low-key. We do not rest here, young one"

I nodded and dropped my eyes. I'm sure I would have been blushing if I could have been. He was over 2,000 years old. Of course he would guard his resting place better than this.

Then again, he also had Fellowship spies infiltrate his nest without his knowledge.

"However, you are correct that we should not stay here long." He added as he turned to walk the rest of the way to the entrance. I fell into step behind Eric and we were soon back in the living room of the Dallas nest.

It seemed like forever since we had been here with Stan but it had only been an hour. Realizing that little fact made me realize that my night had started in Shreveport and at Fangtasia with the Magister. I felt myself becoming overwhelmed with all that had happened in the past few hours.

"We will all feed." Godric instructed as we followed him into the kitchen where, thankfully, Hugo's body had been removed. "Then we will have your child read the minds of the humans here tonight to see if we have any other spies in our nest."

A part of my mind was focused on Godric's words while the rest of my attention was focused solely on the glasses of blood sitting on the island in the middle of the kitchen.

How had I not realized how thirsty I was?

I lost all sense of control and of the manners my Gran had instilled in me as I zipped past Eric, Isabelle, and Godric to reach the first glass available to me.

It was drained in less than a second.

As the last drop crossed my lips, I quickly became aware of what I had done and became embarrassed. I dropped my eyes to the floor and slowly brought the glass from my lips to place it back on the island.

I could feel Eric's amusement, but it was Godric's voice that distracted me from my slight mortification.

"How old is your child?" He asked and I couldn't tell from his voice if he was asking because of my rudeness or if he was just curious.

"Tonight is Sookie's third rising." The pride I felt in the bond and heard in his voice surprised me and my eyes snapped up to meet his, but his eyes were locked on his Maker's.

Rather than trying to interpret the apparent silent conversation Eric and Godric seemed to be having, I allowed my Gran's teachings to take over and broke the silence "I'm sorry for being so rude." I mumbled. "I didn't realize how thirsty I was."

Godric and Eric's eyes turned to look at me but it was Isabelle who spoke first, "Sookie, you have done incredibly well tonight for your third night. I knew you were young but I'm astonished at your control for a three night old."

I offered her a small smile, "Thanks, Isabelle."

There was an awkward silence for a moment while Godric and Eric drank their blood before Godric finally spoke. "I want all humans brought to the living room. All vampires will join us as well."

At first, I thought he was ordering Isabelle to gather everyone together, but, as movement throughout the house instantly followed his words, I realized that all the vampires would have heard his soft words.

"Eric," Godric spoke again, "We will have Sookie scan the humans for more spies and then we will stay at the Hotel Camilla tonight. It will be safer than assuming my resting places are not compromised." Eric nodded in agreement as Godric's eyes settled on me. "Then, we will discuss your new child."

"Yes, Godric."

I stiffened and my eyes darted back and forth between Godric and Eric. I felt a sudden dose of fear as I tried to understand Godric's words, but my fear was quickly swallowed by Eric's reassurance through the bond. Before I could think any further on Godric's meaning, he led the way from the kitchen back into the living room.

The room was now filled with ten humans and nineteen vampires, including Godric, Isabelle, Eric, and me. The humans were standing in a group in the middle of the room and the vampires were standing in a loose ring around the sides of the room.

Godric walked into the middle of the room before speaking to everyone, "A renouncer working with the Fellowship was ended tonight." There was a slight stirring of bodies among the vampires but no words were spoken. I did find my second spy though. She was a bleached blonde dressed in a short black mini-dress. Her thoughts immediately turned to the fear of being caught.

I looked at Eric and pointed to the girl. In an instant, he had covered her mouth and held her uselessly struggling body against his own.

Godric didn't glance in their direction as he continued, "Sookie can read _human_ thoughts and has now found two spies in our nest. You have all become lax in your taking of companions. You will begin questioning your humans weekly under glamour to locate any fellowship plants. All spies will be handed over to Isabelle."

The room was quiet as all the vampires present nodded their agreement. "This nest is no longer a safe place to gather. Take any belongings and do not return here. A new gathering place will be selected shortly and you will all be notified."

Godric glanced at me and I understood the question in his eyes. I shook my head 'no' to indicate that the remaining humans were not spies.

Godric nodded slightly before turning back to address the vampires. "You have ten minutes. You may take all the humans but the girl." He motioned towards Eric and the spy without looking their way. "Go now."

The speed at which the Dallas vampires left the room created such a breeze that the humans in the room staggered in place before leaving the room to follow the vampires.

As the sounds of packing floated down from the second floor, Godric nodded to Eric.

"Sookie," Eric said firmly, "What does she know?"

I'd been listening to Janet ever since I identified her as a spy. Luckily, she'd run through her assignment and exit plans while Godric was speaking.

"Janet doesn't know much more than Hugo did." I saw Isabelle flinch slightly as I mentioned her ex-Lover's name. "She has placed listening devices in two of the bedrooms and one of the cars. A man named Gabe was her contact at the church. She reports back to them weekly on a throw away phone but she hasn't been able to tell them anything other than some of the routines of the local vampires."

I paused for a moment to read her thoughts again but there was nothing new. "Her failsafe plan includes pictures of her with local vampires. The Fellowship plans to use them to discredit the local vampires if she disappears."

Eric and Godric seemed to have another silent conversation before Godric turned to face Isabelle. "Glamour her to forget anything she has learned while with vampires and not to return."

"Yes, Sheriff." Isabelle answered as she took Janet from Eric and darted out of the room.

"We will leave in five minutes." Godric told Eric before he darted from the room.

I looked at Eric questioningly and he shrugged. "He needs to clean up before we go to the hotel or there will be questions."

Oh, right. How had I forgotten that he was still covered in blood and only wore a pair of dirty pants?

"I know you are conflicted about what happened tonight." Eric whispered to me as he crossed the room. "But I am very proud of you."

Even with my guilt, I couldn't help but feel pleased by his words and I found myself feeling inexplicably shy as I looked down to the floor.

Of course, Eric wasn't having any of that. He reached up to take my face softly between his hands and lifted my face to his as he kissed me softly.

Everything around me melted away at his touch and I felt all the tension leave my body.

Predictably, I felt Eric's lips turn upward and his amusement through the bond as he took in my body's response to him. When he pulled back slightly, I reached up to lightly trace the curve where his neck met his shoulders.

"Are you alright?" I asked shakily.

He grinned at me. "Thanks to you." He said softly before taking my hand from his neck and entangling it with his own. When he turned slightly towards the front door, I looked around him to see that Godric was standing by the door studying us.

I tried to interpret his facial expression, but I found myself at a loss.

He nodded once before opening the door and heading to our rental car.

I guessed it was time to go.

* * *

The drive to the hotel was short and silent. I tried to use the time to recover my mental footing after a tumultuous night but I was too nervous about Godric's 'talk' about me to concentrate on anything else.

Even my guilt took a temporary back seat to my anxiety.

I tried to reason myself out of my fear. I concentrated on the time and the fact that we only had an hour before dawn. Nothing too bad could happen in an hour, right?

However, then I'd remembered how much had happened in one night and my relief at the lack of time left in the night flew out the window.

Then, I concentrated on my bond with Eric. _He_ wasn't feeling nervous so why should I? But then I realized he wasn't trying to calm me down through the bond and _that_ made me nervous. Why wouldn't he calm me down if there were nothing to worry about?

Finally, I focused on everything Eric had told me about Godric. He respected him and he was going to introduce us eventually anyway. _That_ gave me a little bit of relief until I remembered, as his Maker, Godric could order Eric to do anything. He could even order Eric to end me.

But that would hurt Eric.

So. . . he wouldn't do _that._

Right?

My mind was spinning in so many different directions I barely noticed when the car pulled up in front of the hotel and Eric opened my door. As I took his offered hand and stepped out of the car, he leaned down and quietly spoke into my ear. "Calm yourself."

Easy for _him_ to say.

I'll admit I may have pulled back and glared at him for a very short second before his returning gaze told me I better back down.

I did.

And I took a deep unnecessary breath.

Of course, with my luck, the deep breath brought with it a delectable scent that immediately had my attention shifting to a bellboy standing on the curb about ten feet away from me.

He smelled better than the AB- fangbanger I had.

Before I made any conscious decisions, my right foot was already starting in his directions. Only Eric's restraining hand on my arm stopped my forward momentum.

"No."

Embarrassingly, I whimpered. However, Eric didn't remove his hand from my arm and he started leading me towards the entrance of the hotel.

I blame my vampire instincts for what I did next.

I wanted the man's blood and I wasn't going to get it now, but that didn't mean I couldn't find out who he was and how to find him later. So, I reached out to listen to his mind.

And immediately froze in place.

His thoughts were filled with the same thoughts I was hearing from the humans around me.

He was telepathic.

All thoughts of drinking his blood fell away as I tried to understand the implications of his existence and his scent. Then I felt a strong tug on my arm.

"Sookie." Eric's voice was firm and laced with annoyance.

Sure that I shouldn't give too much away when we were surrounded by other vampires and humans entering the hotel, I decided to embrace my vampire nature and be cryptic.

"Did I smell that good as a human?" I said softly with a raised eyebrow.

Thin lines of concentration or confusion lined Eric's forehead as he tried to interpret my words.

A slight widening of his eyes was the only confirmation he'd understood what I was saying.

"Now that you mention it, there is a slight similarity to the scents but it's not the same." He answered nonchalantly as we continued our entrance into the hotel lobby where Godric was already checking us in at the front desk. We didn't say anything else about the bellboy while we waited for Godric, and I was able to think more clearly without the bellboy's scent calling to me.

It only took another moment or two before Godric walked past us and we followed him to the elevators and up to the sixth floor. I expected him to give us keys to our room but we simply followed him into a large suite. The living area had two chairs and sitting across from a large sofa with a small coffee table in between them. I saw a door on either side of the living room and I assumed they each led to a bedroom.

While I was looking around the room taking in the décor, Godric and Eric were apparently ready to get right down to business since they were already seated and looking at me. Each of them had taken one of the chairs, so I slowly walked over and lowered myself onto the couch.

I felt like I was about to go in front of a firing squad.

"You do not need to fear this discussion, young one." Godric said softly as he sat back in his chair. "I simply wish to know your story."

The relief I felt was instantaneous and overwhelming. However, then I considered that I normally hid my emotions very well. As a telepath, I had to learn to keep my face blank when hearing the thoughts of others. Had I lost that ability when I became a vampire, or . . .

I turned my gaze to meet Godric's and his lips turned up ever so slightly. "You are rather perceptive. Yes. I can feel your emotions." I tried my best to stifle my reaction but he smiled a little wider so I knew I had failed. "I can't feel them like Eric can nor would I be able to feel them if I were not so close to you now, but you do carry the same blood."

I turned to Eric. "Does that mean that Pam can feel me?"

"She feels your presence when we are nearby the same way you felt her when you rose, but it is only the presence of _related_ blood, for lack of a better term, that she feels." Eric answered easily. "Godric is much older than Pam, so he is better able to understand what he feels through the blood line."

I nodded in response. It was a little disconcerting that there was another vampire that could feel my emotions but there was nothing I could do about it so I decided to shrug it off.

"The time is getting late and I would like to hear about Ms . . ." Godric started.

"Stackhouse"

"Ms. Stackhouse's history." Godric finished.

I glanced at Eric to see if he was going to answer but it appeared as if this was my show. I shrugged. "What would you like to know?"

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked it. Please review! Let me know anything you think Godric would ask or be concerned about. I'm still writing the next chapter so I just might use some of it if its not already planned to be in there. Happy New Year!


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: You all rock and I'm so thankful for each of your reviews. Hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Northman Maille, you are the most wonderful beta ever!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. I'm just playing with their universe.

* * *

_Previously: _

"_The time is getting late and I would like to hear about Ms . . ." Godric started._

"_Stackhouse"_

"_Ms. Stackhouse's history." Godric finished._

_I glanced at Eric to see if he was going to answer but it appeared as if this was my show. I shrugged. "What would you like to know?"_

* * *

"Were you turned willingly?" He asked evenly.

"Yes." I answered automatically. The situation might have started out less than ideal but the end decision had been mine. Eric made sure I knew that.

"How long have you been bonded?"

I thought for a moment to count the days. "Four nights."

"Did you bond willingly?" Godric continued without any outward reaction.

I hesitated for only a second but Godric's head whipped to look at Eric before I could form the word 'yes' on my lips. The word dissolved into the air unspoken as Godric and Eric stared at each other with blank faces.

Feeling uncomfortable with the silence, I started babbling. "I don't regret the bond if that's what you're asking. It's just I didn't really have a choice. With the trial, the Magister, and . . . "

Godric's head turned back to look at me. Even though his face was blank and his voice was even, I could see anger starting to flare in his eyes. "You were ordered to bond by the Magister?"

"Umm. No, not really." I fidgeted in my seat and looked down.

"Perhaps you should start at the beginning."

"Ok." I said with a deep unnecessary breath before looking back up to meet Godric's eyes. I was relieved to see the anger had receded from his eyes. "I met Eric when I went to Fangtasia with another vampire to try to get information about some women who had been killed. You see, my brother was being questioned because he had been with each woman but I knew he hadn't done it because I could read his mind. The women had vampire bites and I knew one of them had gone to the bar before. I was hoping to read some minds and find out something to help my brother."

Godric nodded when I paused so I guessed he was following along.

"Anyway, I met Eric that night and because I warned him about a police raid he knew what I could do. A few nights later, Eric had Bill bring me to Fangtasia to help him find a thief. The problem started when I read the humans and figured out it was a vampire doin' the stealin.' Longshadow attacked me and would have killed me but Bill staked him."

When I paused again to collect my thoughts, Godric raised an eyebrow. "This was the reason the trial was held?" I nodded. "Were you Bill's?"

I looked away for a moment as I answered softly. "At the time."

There was silence for a moment before Godric prompted me. "Go on."

"The Magister required me to attend the trial. Eric told me to stay quiet but the Magister pulled this scared teenager out of a trunk and was going to make Bill turn her as his punishment to replace the vampire he killed." I know my voice betrayed how appalled I had been at the cruelty. I got another raised eyebrow from Godric before he turned to look at Eric. Eric simply nodded and Godric turned back to me. I figured that was my queue to continue. "I couldn't let it happen. So, I – umm- offered to take her place."

I am pretty sure I saw surprise in Godric's eyes before it quickly disappeared. "Did you have any desire to be a vampire?"

I shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it. So, no, I didn't."

He nodded and I continued. "The Magister eventually agreed after some convincing, but he didn't think Bill should be my Maker. He thought it would be more of a reward for Bill than a punishment so he offered me to Eric."

"And you accepted?" There seemed to be an unspoken challenge in Godric's words as he turned to Eric for an answer.

"I did after Sookie accepted me as her Maker." Eric answered smoothly without hesitation.

Another silent conversation seemed to take place between the two vampires for the next couple of minutes and I became more and more annoyed with their silence.

Right before I spoke to break the silence, Eric sighed and seemed to reluctantly respond to an unspoken question. "I was working on ways to make Sookie mine before the trail. I was drawn to her and I was already considering making her my child if she eventually agreed."

While Godric seemed pleased with Eric's admission and finally broke their stare, I felt my jaw drop as I began my own staring contest with my Maker. Eric simply sighed with obvious exacerbation, "Are you truly that surprised, Sookie?"

I snapped my jaw shut and glared at him.

No. I wasn't that surprised.

Just annoyed at his presumptuousness.

"If the Magister didn't order the bond, then how did it come to be?" Godric asked to get us back on track.

I threw one last annoyed look at Eric before turning back to face Godric. I shrugged, "Eric said it would protect him more since others might end him to get me without it due to my telepathy."

Again, Godric turned to Eric and it was obvious now that he wanted more details. I didn't know why he wouldn't simply let Eric tell the story.

"I wanted the bond." Eric simply shrugged, "It had the added bonus of being a deterrent to others."

"But it wasn't _necessary_?" I seethed as I spoke between clenched teeth.

Eric glared back at me and I felt his anger through the bond, "I decided it was necessary and therefore it was."

"It was a risk." Godric spoke without emotion but the challenge was obvious in his words.

"One I was willing to take." Eric answered immediately without moving his eyes from mine.

"As I can see." He answered. "Young one, you have stated you do not regret the bond. Understanding Eric's desire to bond with you should not change that fact."

Damn it. Another know-it-all vamp.

Still, I knew he was right and I closed my eyes to end my visual argument with Eric. I took a deep breath and resigned myself to the facts.

Eric may not have told me everything, but he didn't lie. He simply didn't wear his heart on his sleeve. He wanted to be bonded to me and he did what was necessary to make sure it happened.

I suppose that should make me feel special but I didn't have the brain power to consider that right now. I'd think about it tomorrow.

"We have very little time left before we must go to our rest." Godric spoke, breaking me out of my silent revelry. "Tell me about the rest of the trial."

Luckily, this time his question was directed to Eric.

"Bill revealed he was sent to acquire Sookie for the Queen of Louisiana. He attempted to assert her claim over Sookie rather than allowing me to turn her." Eric explained dryly and I tried my best not to react to the still fresh wound. "The Magister refused the supposed claim of the Queen and gave me leave to turn Sookie. I requested additional time to bond to her and we were given our leave with instructions to present ourselves before the Magister in one week's time."

Godric was silent for only a moment before asking, "The Queen's response?"

"Anger and temper tantrums." Eric responded easily. "She apparently went to the Authority to attempt to claim Sookie before she was turned, but Sophie-Ann was denied. When we met with the Magister, she accompanied him and attempted to order us to her court. The Magister again denied her. She will continue to be a problem."

"I agree. She is temperamental and spoiled."

I wholeheartedly agreed but I'd also call her a heartless bitch.

"Any other complications?" Godric asked.

"Bill's maker took his place for his punishment and he continues to pursue Sookie whether it is for himself or the Queen is yet unknown."

Godric nodded before turning back to me, "And your fairy relations?"

I didn't even attempt to hide my shock at his blunt question. Godric's mouth turned up slightly in response. "It may have been over 1,500 years since I've seen a fairy, but one does not forget a species powerful enough to use sunlight against their enemies."

"Sunlight?" I finally managed to stutter.

Godric's head tilted slightly to the side. "Yes, that is what you shot at Godfrey. It is the only thing that would turn a vampire to ashes." He seemed to think for a moment before continuing. "I'm very surprised you would retain such a power when vampires are so susceptible to the light. It's impressive that you were able to end Godfrey without burning Eric and me as well."

I shook my head as I response. "I've only ever had it happen once before and it didn't burn anyone. It just pushed them away. I don't even know how it works."

"Eric will help you learn. It is a powerful weapon and will be your greatest protection." Godric turned to Eric again. "Her fairy bloodline?"

"Brigant." Godric's reaction was clearly shock as he glanced back at me before urging Eric to continue. "Fintan Brigant is her biological grandfather. He is half-human and he only revealed himself to her after she agreed to be turned. He would not force her to break her promise but he did offer to help her escape if she wished it."

"Not surprising." Godric said dryly.

"Agreed." Eric continued. "Fintan revealed that Sookie would be in grave danger from a faction in Faery, due to her human hybrid status. Therefore, he has hidden her existence from everyone, including the Prince."

When Eric paused, I decided to add in the last bit of my heritage. "Fintan also told us my grandmother's ancestor was a natural witch."

"Your telepathy?" Godric asked.

"Yes." Eric answered for me. "Fintan believed her telepathy was a manifestation of her natural witch blood line being combined with her Fae blood."

"You certainly have found a unique and powerful child." Godric stated evenly while he rose from his seat. "Now it is time for us all to go to our rest."

Eric and I both nodded as we rose.

"At first dark, I must contact the Authority and the Queen." Eric advised Godric.

"I alerted the Authority to my safe return and the involvement of the Fellowship after I cleaned up at the nest. Nan will be here an hour after first dark to get the details. We will all meet with her here."

"Yes, Godric."

Before anything else could be said, Godric was gone and I heard one of the bedroom doors closing softly.

I turned to Eric to see he was gesturing with his hand for me to lead the way to the other bedroom. Slightly concerned by the conversation of the last hour and completely weary from the full night of events, I went to the bedroom without further comment or complaint.

Once inside the room, I noticed my suitcase and a doorway to an ensuite bathroom. Without a word or backward glance, I took it into the bathroom. I was starting to feel a slight nagging sensation I automatically knew was my internal warning that sunrise was soon. I hadn't really noticed it before because Eric was always distracting me.

Unfortunately, I didn't think I had time for the shower I so desperately wanted. Instead, I simply washed my face, hands, and forearms before changing into an immodest gown. As soon as I saw the gown, I remembered Pam had packed my bag and I needed to avoid that situation at all cost in the future. She and I had completely different taste in sleepwear. Then again, Eric and I normally didn't sleep in clothes.

Feeling the nagging, tugging sensation starting to strengthen, I closed my suitcase and entered the bedroom. Eric was already in the bed, lying on his side, watching me approach.

"I wish we had the time for me to show my appreciation of your gown." He growled softly.

I couldn't help but smile as I felt his 'frustration' through our bond. "Maybe I'll wear it again for you some time."

"I'd like that." He said softly as I settled into the bed next to him and his arms automatically pulled me closer to him.

After a moment of silence, I decided to use the last few minutes before sunrise to try to settle my racing thoughts. "Godric didn't seem to like the fact that we're bonded." I whispered.

Eric didn't respond immediately and my tension increased. He rubbed his hand up and down my arm.

"Godric taught me that having a bonded child was the most sacred, most rewarding, and the most dangerous of bonds. He is concerned I didn't exercise proper restraint and consideration before bonding us together." He explained evenly.

"Did you?"

"I do not and will never regret our bonding, Sookie." He whispered fiercely before sighing. "But, perhaps, I acted rashly because it is what I wanted."

I closed my eyes as I considered his words. "What will he do?"

"Do?"

My voice was barely audible, even for a vampire, "He could make you end me, couldn't he?"

Before I could comprehend what was happening, Eric was on his back and I was lying on top of him with my face in Eric's hands.

"This is why you have been afraid?"

I nodded once.

"Sookie, Godric is a good and fair Maker. He will not make me end you."

"But he could." I try not to look away from him.

Eric's mouth tightened. "I could order you to kill your brother and friends, but I will not."

I blanched at his words as he continued to stare at me. I knew Eric would never make me do something so callous. However, Eric never said anything without purpose so I tried to find his deeper meaning.

After only a few seconds, I thought I understood what he was trying to say. "You want me to trust him as I trust you."

I saw Eric's eyes light up for a moment and I realized I'd never truly told Eric I trusted him. I smiled slightly and placed one of my hands on his cheek. "I do trust you."

The smile that overcame Eric's face was beautiful and the most unguarded facial expression I'd ever seen him make. Albeit I only saw the smile for a quick moment before he was kissing me deeply.

The kiss didn't last nearly long enough before Eric pulled back. However, I was almost certain that I only had a few seconds before I died for the day.

Eric palmed my cheeks as he spoke. "If you trust me, then trust my judgment. You can trust Godric. He will not harm you."

I stared into Eric's eyes and I tried to rush through my thoughts before my body shut down. Godric was Eric's Maker and Eric loved and respected him. I trusted Eric so I should trust his assessment of his Maker.

I would trust Godric.

I think I managed a slight nod in acknowledgement of Eric's words before my body went limp and I was dead for the day.

* * *

Upon rising the next night, Eric and I shared a quick shower that included a frenzied, hard, and fast coupling we both needed to the point of desperation. After the events of the night before, I needed to feel him and reassure myself that he was still alive. Also, I think he needed to feel connected after almost losing his Maker and his undead life.

When our shower was over and we were both dressed and sated for the moment, we entered the living room area of the suite to find Godric answering a knock on the door. As Eric and I took a seat together on the couch, Godric led two women and a man into the room. I looked at them curiously for a moment as I wondered why they were here. Of course, then I read their minds and I stiffened.

Room service.

Eric sent me a burst of calm reassurance through the bond and I tried to steel my own nerves. This was my life now and I had to stop panicking every time I had to feed.

I closed my eyes for a moment and listened to the three visitors. They were all willing donors and each of them had different reasons for taking the job. They all needed the money and liked the 'perks' of the job.

I involuntarily hissed at the tall blonde woman when she licked her lips while eying Eric. He, of course, grinned mischievously at my reaction while Godric simply raised an eyebrow.

I decided to ignore them both and pull on my big girl pants.

Approaching the blonde that was still eyeing my Maker, I ordered her to sit on one of the chairs, since she was too tall for me to reach her neck while she was standing. She pouted slightly but was good enough at her job to do as she was told without verbal complaint. I blocked out her mental voice and my audience as I leaned into her neck and bit. My eyes closed of their own accord as I enjoyed the flavor of her blood. It wasn't the best I'd had but I realized now that I was very thirsty.

Feeling more in control tonight than on previous nights, I listened for her heart to slow down. Eric had been trying to teach me when and how to stop on my own but so far he'd always had to prompt me in some way. I was hoping to do better tonight.

I had taken a few mouthfuls of the donor's blood when I heard a slight slowing of her heartrate. I immediately, and yet reluctantly, licked her neck to seal the wound and pulled away from her neck.

Suddenly, I felt a huge wave of pride hit me and I turned to see Eric smiling at me. I couldn't help but smile back. I had fed on my own for the first time and I wasn't feeling overly guilty about it.

"Eric." Godric prompted him to choose his donor.

I realized then that I hadn't seen Eric feed yet. Since the trial, he had only fed on me or bagged blood. I was surprisingly curious to watch him and slightly, irrationally jealous that I couldn't supply what he needed. As Eric stood and walked towards the remaining donors, I involuntarily tensed for a moment thinking of Eric's mouth on the remaining female.

I didn't have long to worry though as Eric went to stand behind the male donor and quickly bent his mouth to the man's neck. I saw a flash of his fangs as he slid them into the flesh, and the sight suddenly turned me on. I didn't know if it was the smoothness of his movements, his confidence, or feeling Eric's satisfaction with his meal through our bond, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He opened his eyes to capture mine as he continued swallowing and I felt a rush of pride at the sight of him.

He was mine.

All too soon, Eric pulled back to seal the wound on the donor's neck and I felt slightly disappointed the show was over with so quickly. Eric smirked as he walked away from the donor and came to stand in front of me. Before I knew what to expect, he pulled me into a deep, toe curling kiss. I could taste the remainder of our meals on our tongues and I moaned loudly at the combined taste of the blood and Eric's own masculine taste.

When Eric pulled back, I could feel his amusement at what he was doing to my emotional state and I lightly slapped his arm. "Stop laughing at me."

The chastising wasn't really effective though since there was a definite laugh in my voice. Eric simply chuckled and took my hand to lead me back to the couch. I tried to regain control of myself by looking away from him and I caught the sight of Godric sealing his donor's wound. I was relieved the sight of him feeding didn't turn me on as well. That would have been embarrassing and probably upsetting to Eric.

Godric signed the room service receipt and motioned that the donors were free to leave. When the door was closed, he took a seat in one of the chairs and eyed us for a moment.

"You are living as mates?"

"Yes." We both responded simultaneously.

He nodded and I was wondering what was going on in his mind. Was he surprised Eric wanted me as a mate? Was he disappointed? What did he think of me?

Godric's mouth opened to speak but a sharp rapping on the door interrupted him. Due to my Southern upbringing, I felt I should answer the door since I was the youngest. When I moved to stand up, however, Eric pulled me back down gently before he rose to answer the door.

Hmm. Apparently Southern manners weren't a good guide for vampire protocol.

When Eric opened the door, a tall blonde woman wearing a suit stormed into the room followed by four men in dark suits and sunglasses. Isabelle walked in after the group, and shot Godric a small smile, before schooling her features to an indifferent mask. Eric closed the door behind them all and moved to sit back beside me on the couch.

The blonde, whom I recognized from TV as Nan Flannigan, spokesperson for the American Vampire League, immediately took a seat in the remaining chair and got right down to business.

"What the fuck happened?" She demanded of Godric.

Excuse my language, but what a bitch.

Godric remained calm. With an emotionless face and voice, he explained. "My Maker's elder child, Godfrey, ambushed me as I left one of my businesses. He chained me in silver and took me to the Fellowship headquarters here in Dallas. I was chained to the wall and bled to keep me weak. Mr. Newlin planned a service for dawn this morning, which included burning me on a cross while he recorded it."

"Shit." Nan spat but I had the feeling she was more annoyed by what Godric's ordeal meant to her than what he had been through. "Why did Godfrey help them?"

"He was a renouncer." He answered simply.

"Did you know this before he abducted you?"

"No."

"Has he been given the final death?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "Do you know if he gave any critical information to the Newlins?"

"He confirmed our weaknesses of sunlight, silver, and stake. I could overhear them speaking at times and it sounded like an interview in which he enumerated his sins. I believe there was a recording device in the room but I cannot be certain as the sounds were muffled."

"Fuck. What else?"

"He informed them of our structure of Kingdoms and Sheriffs. He may have provided names and locations."

Nan stood up and paced around the room furiously. "What a clusterfuck!" She mumbled.

After a couple of moments of pacing, she stopped behind her chair to stand. "How were you able to get away?"

"Eric, Sookie, Isabelle, and Stan came to release me."

"Tell me you weren't videotaped." She hissed at Eric.

He replied to her stiffly. "We knocked an old tree down onto their main power source and then Isabelle took out their back up generator. Any security system, including cameras, would have been disabled."

Nan relaxed infinitesimally. "Any human injuries?"

"No." Eric answered.

Nan took her seat again. "Vampire loses?"

"Stan Davis was ended by Godfrey." Godric explained evenly. "His Maker has met his final death. There are no notifications to be made. I filed the paperwork when I first rose this evening."

Nodding she started speaking again. "Thank fuck you didn't get caught or taped. I would like to have any recordings they had of Godfrey but they will be hard pressed to release those to the media, without explaining about Godfrey and his actions against you." She paused for a moment before turning her attention back to Eric and Isabelle. "How did you know the Fellowship had him?"

Eric answered. "The Magister informed me about my Maker's disappearance and advised that my new child, Sookie, may be of some help in locating him."

Before Eric could continue, Nan eyed me speculatively and interrupted. "How old is she and how could she help?"

"She is four nights old and she can read human minds."

I saw Nan's eyes light up and I didn't like it one bit. "All humans?"

Eric nodded at me to answer. "Everyone's thoughts are different but I can hear any human."

"Others?" She pressed.

"I can hear some thoughts from Weres. Vampires are voids. I don't know about any others." I answered as simply as possible.

"Interesting." She continued to study me for a moment before continuing with her questioning. "You confirmed his location?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"How?"

"When we arrived at the Dallas nest, my bonded found a Fellowship spy and questioned him. He confirmed the church had taken Godric with the help of another vampire." Eric explained. I felt through the bond that he wasn't happy. I could only guess it had to do with Nan's obvious interest in me.

"Your bonded?"

"Yes."

She seemed to tense ever so slightly before moving on. "Well, luckily, it seems there's not much of a mess for me to clean up publically. I'll inform the Authority regarding the possible existence of the confessional recordings of Godfrey, and that he educated the church on our hierarchy." She turned back to Godric. "I am also to inform you that the Authority and King of Texas accept your resignation and agree on the appointment of your second, Isabelle, as your replacement."

"What?" Eric and Isabelle exclaimed.

Nan ignored their outbursts and stood back up. "I have places to be. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"No."

Nan nodded to Godric and swept out of the room as quickly as she had entered while her men in black followed her.

As soon as the door was closed, Isabelle and Eric opened their mouth to speak but Godric silenced them with a slightly raised hand.

"Even if it's not true, the Fellowship will now see me as a weak spot in the hierarchy because they were able to hold me captive. Staying on as Sherriff in Dallas would be irresponsible for me and Isabelle is a suitable choice for my replacement." Godric explained calmly.

After a few moments of silence, Isabelle spoke softly. "Thank you for everything Godric."

"You are welcome." He nodded to her as they both rose. "I will come see you later this night to start transferring everything over. I will stay in Dallas for a few nights until you are settled into the position."

"Are you leaving the state?" She asked as he walked her towards the door.

"Yes." He said with a small upturn of his lips. "I believe I now have reason to visit Louisiana."

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave me a review and tell me what you think.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: As always, huge thanks to my beta, Northman Maille. She keeps me motivated by her positive attitude and feedback while also keeping me in line with my commas and grammar. Thanks so much Allison.

Thank you all for each of your reviews. I read each and every one and they help to keep me motivated as well. I also appreciate the PMs I get telling me you miss the story. Sorry this chapter took a little time to get out. I've been traveling with work so time to write has been short. I wrote this chapter while flying to California. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. I'm just playing with their universe.

* * *

_Previously: _

_Nan nodded to Godric and swept out of the room as quickly as she had entered, while her men in black followed her. _

_As soon as the door was closed, Isabelle and Eric opened their mouth to speak but Godric silenced them with a slightly raised hand. _

"_Even if it's not true, the Fellowship will now see me as a weak spot in the hierarchy because they were able to hold me captive. Staying on as Sherriff in Dallas would be irresponsible of me, and Isabelle is a suitable choice for my replacement." Godric explained calmly._

_After a few moments of silence, Isabelle spoke softly. "Thank you for everything Godric."_

"_You are welcome." He nodded to her as they both rose. "I will come see you later this night to start transferring everything over. I will stay in Dallas for a few nights until you are settled into the position." _

"_Are you leaving the state?" She asked as he walked her towards the door._

"_Yes." He said with a small upturn of his lips. "I believe I now have reason to visit Louisiana."_

* * *

Instantly I felt happiness and excitement flooding my bond with Eric, and as soon as Godric closed the door behind Isabelle my Maker was speaking.

"You are coming to Louisiana?" Eric stepped forward slightly as he questioned Godric. I swear his emotions felt like a child on Christmas morning.

"Yes, Eric." Godric answered with a small smile of indulgence before becoming serious once again. "You have an angry Queen and an obsessed vampire knocking at your door, and I would expect several other vultures to begin circling as the news of your uniquely talented child spreads through the supernatural world. I feel my place, for now, is close to my bloodline."

Eric bowed his head deeply. "We will be honored to have you."

Godric nodded in acknowledgement before turning his attention to me. "What concerns you?"

Damn emotions. I needed to get better control of them if everyone and their Maker were going to be feeling them.

I took a deep breath before speaking. "I've had an eventful week. Once I adjust to one change, two more seem to pop up." I shrugged. "It's just a lot to take in."

Of course I also wondered what it would mean to me that Godric would be coming to Shreveport. Would he be living with us? Would he be able to order me around like Eric can?

Godric nodded his head once in acceptance of my response, but I knew I hadn't fooled him. His next words proved me right.

"You have recently been betrayed by someone you trusted completely." His tone was soft but his eyes were intense. "I cannot expect you to trust me so quickly and neither should my child. However, I tell you now that my bloodline has my allegiance and protection above all others until my final death. Regardless of who those may be that threaten you, Eric, or Pam, they will not succeed."

As I looked into Godric's eyes while he spoke, I could see his honesty and commitment. I could also see the predator that lay in wait for any who would challenge him or his bloodline.

Unexpectedly, I felt safer.

In an act of pure instinct, I bowed my head deeply as I whispered a soft, "Thank you."

I immediately felt Eric's pride flood through my veins and, when I allowed my eyes to travel upward again, I saw that both he and Godric were smiling.

* * *

A few hours later, Eric and I were on another chartered flight headed back to Louisiana. Our departure from Texas had been relatively uneventful. We packed up our few belongings, Eric contacted the Queen with an update, and Godric left us with a nonchalant 'I will see you soon.'

The only _interesting_ occurrence from the last few hours was Eric's phone call with the Queen. Of course, he hadn't told her anything I didn't already know, but she had a few words to share with him. Specifically, we were ordered to appear in her court the following night.

I was _thrilled._

As seemed to be par for the course, I was again stuck thinking about different possible scenarios and 'what ifs.' I had hoped, after the scene with the Magister, the Queen would back off of us some, but I had only _hoped_. I knew better than to truly expect it. She didn't seem like the type to ever give up.

I found myself sighing unnecessarily and sinking further into my seat while peering out the window. Was it too much to ask for a single day not filled with anxiety, intrigue, turnings, or rescue missions? Just one day that I could use to try and simply sit, relax, and really try to comprehend all the changes in my life and my body? Of course I had that wonderful day on the beach on the day of my turning, but so much had changed since then.

I gave my self a slight shake to bring myself out of my downward spiral. I was starting to feel overwhelmed, and it was putting me on the precipice of a downward spiral toward depression that I refused to visit. I was stronger than anyone knew and I wasn't going to wallow.

With my backbone back in place, along with my Stackhouse stubbornness, I forced myself to concentrate on the Queen again. What was her purpose in having us come to court? What would be expected of me? What would be expected of Eric?

I couldn't help the worry that built with each question that passed through my mind, and I started to worry more when I remembered Eric could feel my scattered emotions. Would he think I was too weak for this life? What would he do if he did?

With those questions blaring loudly in my mind, I remembered I could use our bond to see what _he_ was feeling.

Determination, fondness, confidence, anticipation, mirth

I felt my eyebrows furrow of their own accord as I felt his mix of emotions. He didn't seemed to be worried at all about the Queen, and I could help but wish that I had the ability to read his mind, so I could understand his emotions in that moment.

When I glanced at him I was slightly startled to see him looking at me with a devilish grin on his face.

"When we are alone, you can ask me what I'm thinking or feeling Sookie. You don't have to rely on your interpretation of my emotions."

If I could have blushed, I would have. "You can feel that . . . I mean . . . when I try to see what you are feeling?"

He nodded. "Normally it takes a new vampire quite some time to be able to find their Maker's emotions and differentiate them from their own. I don't know if it's our bonded status or your telepathy that has allowed you to do it so early, but I'm impressed."

I couldn't help but smile shyly from the praise. It made me realize how much I wanted to make him proud.

I'm not sure when that happened.

Without another word, Eric reached over and pulled me up to straddle his lap before putting one finger under my chin and holding it up so I was meeting his gaze.

"What were you looking for, Ms Stackhouse?"

For a second, I was worried that he was angry. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I shouldn't do it. I guess it's rude?"

Eric shook his head, as I was speaking, "No. It's not rude, and you can do it anytime. However, until you know me better, you may end up causing yourself a lot of confusion by trying to interpret my emotions with such a limited knowledge of how I work. That's why I told you to ask if we are alone. This way you will start to know the thoughts that are causing the emotions."

I nodded slowly and he continued. "There may be times that I won't tell you everything, but trust me to have a good reason for that and do not push too far."

His voice was a little sterner towards the end and I understood that he was giving me leeway, but that I had limits I needed to respect. "I understand. Thank you."

He smiled softly before tucking my hair behind my ear. "Now, what were you looking for?"

"I was worrying about the Queen and what she wanted from us during our trip to court. I couldn't stop obsessing over it and then I wondered if you were worried about it too."

"Did you feel any worry?"

"No."

His only response was to nod.

After a moment of playing with one of the buttons on his shirt, I looked back up at him. "Can I ask why?"

He shrugged easily. "There's nothing to worry about."

I looked at him as if he'd lost his mind and waited for him to explain. When he didn't, I huffed in annoyance. "Is this arrogance?"

"No."

"Then what is it? Why aren't you worried? What am I missing?"

"Knowledge and experience." He responded seriously while teasingly tugging on my hair slightly.

He was such a contradiction.

"Please explain?" I asked with a slight whine in my voice. I was too tense and worried to enjoy his antics.

"Tell me what you are worried about."

"She could take me. She could hurt us." I bit my bottom lip lightly. "She could order us to do horrible things. She could hurt someone else I care about."

"Is that everything?"

I thought for a second and ran through all the horrible scenarios that had been playing through my mind on a loop before I nodded. "Yep. That about sums it up."

"The Authority has backed my claim as your Maker and your Mate. They have also limited her control over us by ordering her to allow us to stay in my area as her Sheriff, instead of living in her court."

"What does that really mean though? What if she decides to disobey them?" I had only met her once but she seemed deluded and power hungry enough to do it.

"Since you are my bonded child, I have the right to protect you against any aggression by other supernatural beings. As my Mate, you have the right to protect me against any aggression by other supernatural beings. These laws apply to every being regardless of their position. No one is allowed to interfere with a bonded, mated couple. Not even a Queen." Eric paused for a moment and I knew he was giving me a chance to ask questions.

"I still don't understand how that helps us. If she's willing to go against the Authority then surely she wouldn't care about this law." I was so confused and I couldn't wrap my head around what he was trying to tell me.

"No. She wouldn't." He agreed. "But if she tries to interfere or overstep, then we are justified in retaliating. The Magister and the Authority have supported our bond, and mating, publically. It would be impossible for them to punish us if we had to end her."

"End her? We're going to kill the Queen?" I was shocked. "What would that mean? Would you be King? How would things change for us?"

Too much. It was all too much.

"Shh." Eric soothed me as he rubbed his hands lightly up and down my arms. It was an uncharacteristically sweet gesture and I found my self instantly relaxing. "I am not planning on killing the Queen nor do I want to, but make no mistake; we can and will end her if she threatens us or tries to interfere with our relationship."

After a few more strokes of his hands down my arms, he continued. "As for what would change, we would become King and Queen."

I felt distaste in his voice so I took a page from his book and cocked my eyebrow.

"I have no desire to rule a state." He admitted unashamedly. "I enjoy having my little piece of Louisiana and only being involved in politics as much as I have to be."

"Do we have to take over if we kill her?"

"Unfortunately the Authority would require it." Eric replied before tilting his head slightly and adding. "Unless Godric would accept the role. Since he is my Maker, that would be acceptable to them."

"Would he do it?" I asked hopefully. I really couldn't see myself as a vampire Queen.

"I don't know." He shook his head and seemed to be deep in thought. "I would offer it to him though. Either way, however, we would still be more involved in politics than I'd like as I'm certain he would want me to be his Lieutenant."

We were both silent for a few moments as we were lost in our own thoughts. For only a second, I started to feel guilty about the possibility of killing someone. However, I had to admit to myself that if it came down to me _versus_ the Queen, or someone I cared about _versus_ the Queen, then I'd end the Queen every time.

My Gran may have taught me to be a good Christian, but she also taught me to stand up and fight for my family and myself. After all, she didn't keep a shotgun in the house for decorative purposes.

After smiling slightly at a random memory of my Grandmother carrying a shotgun, I decided we'd been quiet long enough and I endeavored to get us back to the conversation.

"So, if she threatens us, attempts to hurt us, or interferes in our relationship, then the plan is to kill her." He nodded. "How?"

He smirked at me. "I'm twice her age and strength. Plus, we have your new weapon. We will have to start practicing with it soon."

I balked slightly at the reminder of the destruction my light was now capable of, but I had to admit he was right. If I had this deadly power, I needed to know how to use it. I didn't want to accidentally kill someone if I got angry and didn't know how to control myself.

"Okay. So, I won't say I feel _better_ since our plan is to kill someone, but I guess I feel less worried."

"Good."

"What is the plan if she tries to hurt someone else we care about, or orders us to do horrible things?"

He sighed. "That's trickier. Technically, she is our Queen and we are bound to obey her or we will be punished for treason."

"That doesn't sound good." Just when I start to feel a little hopeful about the outcome of this mess, he has to rain on my parade.

"I said technically." The corner of his lip turned up slightly. "However, we have an ace up our sleeve."

"Yeah? What?" I asked.

"Godric." He smiled. "He is not sworn to the Queen and I know he will refuse to do so. As my Maker, he can overrule any of her commands, and she has no recourse to punish us. A Maker has full rights to their children unless they've been released."

This sounded promising, but I still had doubts. "Couldn't she order him from her state?"

"Yes, but she won't." He grinned evilly. "Godric will simply tell her that he will take his entire bloodline with him from Louisiana. As I said, he has full rights as my Maker and she isn't old enough to present any real threat to him. No, the Queen will back off rather than risk losing her Sheriff and the new resident telepath."

That brought a full smile to my face. "You really are diabolical."

He leaned toward me and as his lips brushed softly against mine he whispered "_You know you like it_" into my mouth, before soundly pressing his lips into mine. Our lips quickly found a slow, sensual pace and before long my chest was pressed firmly against his. One of his hands made it's way slowly up to tangle into the hair at the base of my neck, while the other firmly gripped my ass as I ground into his ever growing erection.

Breaking away from our kiss to slowly nibble and kiss down my neck, Eric husky voice went straight to my core. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Mmmm." I hummed with my head thrown back to give him more room to continue his journey. He was working me into a frenzy with his hands and his mouth. I didn't realize until that moment how much I'd missed the physical contact with him, and it had barely been 24 hours. I was already addicted to him and, at the moment, I couldn't find a reason to be upset about it.

Trying to gather my wits, I asked, "What about the crew?"

Eric stopped his journey south, which was just reaching my chest, and leaned back slightly to smirk at me. "Why, Ms. Stackhouse, what exactly do you have on your mind that would require the absence of the crew?"

I _should_ have been embarrassed, but I just wasn't. I knew it was something I shouldn't want by proper social standards, but anyone who says they are not turned on by the thought of having sex on a private airplane is just plain lying.

So, instead of being embarrassed, I answered his question by starting to unbutton my shirt. I didn't lose eye contact with him as I raised an eyebrow. "The crew?"

Eric's fangs snapped down and my stomach muscles clenched. "Won't bother us until it's time to land."

I slid the shirt off my shoulders and allowed it to fall to the ground behind me. Still holding eye contact, I reached to the clasp on the front of my bra while I ground a little more into his groin. "Was there a reason you gave them that instruction?" I asked as my bra sprung open and I let my arms fall to the side, so it would slide down my arms and back.

Eric leaned forward and licked a long, wet trail between my breasts to the base of my neck. "I need to feel the pulse of my mate's body as it clenches tightly around me."

His words and actions were too much for me and I moaned loudly while grabbing his hair with both hands. I pulled his mouth to mine intent on devouring his mouth, when suddenly I was sitting in the seat with Eric kneeling in front of me. Before I could protest the loss of his mouth against mine, he had pulled up my skirt, torn away my panties and threw my legs over his shoulders.

I'm not sure if I was truly unashamed or simply too lost in the pleasure to care about what the crew heard, but I was unrestrained in my vocal appreciation of Eric's talented tongue. He licked, sucked, and teased me until I screamed out my release. A small part of me wanted to fall back into my seat and enjoy the jelly like feeling invading my body, but the larger part was desperate to feel Eric inside of me.

Forcefully pushing Eric into the seat opposite mine, I stood and licked my lips as I looked at him. His eyes were dark with lust and his chest was rumbling softly with a growl that had me dripping. Again, I maintained eye contact as I reached down to unbuckle his pants and pull them down his legs. As usual, he was going commando, and I was momentarily diverted from my original plan as I thought about tasting him. As if he could read my mind, Eric pulled me onto his lap.

"I can't wait another moment to feel you." He growled into my ear as he quickly thrust into me.

Our mutual cries, growls, and moans filled the cabin as we kissed, stroked, and bit our way into the most intense orgasm of my life.

As we came down from our high, I leaned my head on his shoulder and he softly ran his hand up and down my back. Surprisingly, I found myself feeling incredibly happy for the first time in my life.

Sure, I'd been happy before but there always seemed to be something waiting to take it all away; so I never felt secure in it. I knew there were a lot of things about the last week or so that I could be unhappy about and there was a lot threatening my happiness now. Somehow though, I had developed a strong faith that Eric would protect us.

Beyond that, I also knew that Eric would _never_ leave me.

I now had more stability in my life than I'd ever known.

Somewhere in my mind, I knew there was still a lot I didn't know about Eric and I was sure I wouldn't like some of it. However, when he was _really_ with me, he was just _my _Eric. As long as I had that, then I knew everything else would be okay.

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A/N: I'm a little nervous about what you think about this chapter. I thought you might need a little Eric/Sookie time after the last few busy chapters. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Lots of love to my beta, Northman Maille, for encouraging me through my bout of nerves with this chapter. She's the best.

Also, thanks to all of you for your wonderful reviews and for continuing to follow the story even though I can't update on a regular schedule. You all rock! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. I'm just playing with their universe.

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_Previously: _

_As we came down from our high, I leaned my head on his shoulder and he softly ran his hand up and down my back. Surprisingly, I found myself feeling incredibly happy for the first time in my life. _

_Sure, I'd been happy before but there always seemed to be something waiting to take it all away; so I never felt secure in it. I knew there were a lot of things about the last week or so I could be unhappy about and there was a lot threatening my happiness now. Somehow though, I had developed a strong faith that Eric would protect us. _

_Beyond that, I also knew Eric would never leave me. _

_I now had more stability in my life than I'd ever known. _

_Somewhere in my mind, I knew there was still a lot I didn't know about Eric and I was sure I wouldn't like some of it. However, when he was really with me, he was just my Eric. As long as I had that, then I knew everything else would be okay._

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When we finally landed back in Shreveport, the bar was already closed so we went straight home. Pam met us there to update Eric on Sheriff's business, and they talked for a couple of hours before she left. Eric and I then continued with our more pleasurable activities we started on the plane until the dawn stole our awareness.

Unfortunately, this meant tonight was to be spent with the Queen at her Palace. Eric and I had showered and dressed quickly after we rose, before stopping at Fangtasia for blood. We then drove to New Orleans and were now making our way into the Queen's _sunroom_.

As I walked along the hallway behind Eric and the guard who was guiding us, I tried to distract myself from the nervousness I was feeling by looking at the Palace decorations.

They were gaudy.

She needed a new interior decorator. Not that I was going to tell her that.

After a short walk through more tacky hallways, we were granted entrance to a brightly lit room with a large in-ground pool in the middle. When I looked around, I saw the Queen reclining in a lounge chair in a polka-dot bikini and sunglasses. I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

Behind her, and around the room in sporadic places, were several men in black suits. I assumed they were her bodyguards and I suppressed a giggle as the _Men in Black_ song passed through my head.

My giggle died in my throat, however, when I saw the woman sitting tensely in the lounge chair behind the Queen.

Hadley.

My long-lost cousin.

"Before we begin," the Queen spoke lazily from her chair without looking in our direction. "please command your new child not to read my Hadley's mind. I wouldn't want to ruin any surprises."

Before Eric could speak, I opened my mind quickly.

_I'm so sorry. Oh god I'm sorry, but you have to help. You have to Sook._

I hadn't been actively listening to Eric's words, but a part of my vampire mind heard his command, and Hadley's mental voice suddenly cut off as his Maker's command took hold.

I continued to stare at my cousin in shock even though her mind was now silent to me. Why was she here? How did she get here? Was the Queen going to hurt her to punish me? What was I going to do now?

As I felt myself starting to lose control of my thoughts, I felt a strong burst of calm and reassurance overtake me through my bond with Eric. I took a deep breath and allowed the emotions to overrule my own. There was no way I'd be able to keep myself in check without his help.

"Now that we know our surprises won't be spoiled, let's begin." Sophie Ann stated as she took off her sunglasses, placed them on the table, and stood up to face us with her hands clasped eagerly in front of her. "I'm sure you are wondering what your dear cousin is doing here, Ms. Stackhouse."

I felt Eric's shock through our bond and realized he didn't know until that moment who Hadley was. However, he recovered from the discovery quickly and the steady stream of calm and reassurance continued to flow through me.

The Queen was looking at me as if she were waiting for a response. I looked to Eric and he nodded, so I responded with the strongest voice that I could muster which was still very quiet. "Yes, ma'am"

The Queen smiled as she walked over to stand beside Hadley's chair. She stroked her hair and, while with a human couple it would have looked like a loving gesture, in this context it looked like she was patting a good dog.

I felt sick. I didn't even know that feeling was possible for a vampire.

"Hadley has been my pet for almost two years. I saved her from her life on the streets and addiction to drugs." Sophie Ann smiled at me but I could see the calculating expression behind her eyes. "It was through her stories of her family that I learned of your talent, Ms. Stackhouse."

I stiffened automatically. I wasn't sure if it was from the fact my cousin's stupidity had brought me into a world where my heart was broken by my first love and my Gran was murdered, or if it was from the Queen's mention of her own involvement in the events of my recent past.

"I know you must be angry about how some things happened and I can't say I'm happy with all the decisions that were made either." Sophie Ann spoke as she looked from Eric to someone standing in the far corner of the room. A quick glance told me it was Bill and I had to suppress a growl.

"However, we must all live with the consequences. Yes?" She clapped once happily and my attention was fully back on her.

Caution.

It came to me softly through my bond with Eric and I was pretty sure I understood. The Queen was too happy and too placating. She was up to something and we needed to be careful.

I did my best to steel my resolve to not screw up as I prepared for the worst.

But I couldn't have predicted what was to come.

"I'm sure you can understand that in the Post-Revelation world we cannot be too careful in our dealings with humans. To have a telepath in one's Palace would be an unparalleled security check and would allow for various financial endeavors to be more successful. You can understand your Queen's need for such important services, can you not?"

Before I could try to answer her ridiculous question, Eric spoke for me. "Even though Sookie and I have been told to reside in my area, her services, of course, will still be available to you for your protection and financial gain."

I thought Eric's response was perfect as it balanced a statement of cooperation with a reminder of the Authority's ruling regarding our permanent residence. However, the Queen simply waved him off.

"I know, I know." Sophie Ann smiled and I felt like we were getting closer to the gut punch I was expecting. "However, I don't believe I will need her services for much longer."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Eric's eyebrow rise in surprise. "My Queen?"

Sophie Ann's smile grew even bigger. "You will be the first of my Sheriffs to hear the good news." She paused, I believe for effect, before clapping her hands together once in front of her again. "I've found another telepath."

I couldn't stop the gasp that left my mouth and Eric pushed more calm into the bond to help me recover.

Where had she found another telepath? Was it the bellboy from Dallas? Was there someone else? What was she going to do with them?

"That's exciting news my Queen." Eric stated calmly. "I'm sure they will be an excellent addition to your retinue."

I knew he was playing the part but I couldn't help but be a little disgruntled with his response.

"Yes. I'm particularly proud of this discovery." She looked at me again as she asked, "Would you like to know how I found my new telepath?"

"Yes, Ma'am." I answered without looking to Eric for permission.

She walked over and again lounged in her chair as she started her story. "I'll admit I was rather upset when I found out Ms. Stackhouse would not be joining me in the Palace. You see I had already waited long enough, in my mind, while my procurer did his work. I wanted my own telepath and I had lost one when it was almost in my grasps."

I was working very hard to keep my fangs from descending in anger, as she continued to talk about me like a piece of property.

"When I returned from Fangtasia last night, I went directly to see my Hadley." I saw Hadley flinch in the background as the Queen continued speaking. "It occurred to me she may have more family which I didn't know about."

I could feel the growl about to escape my throat when another wave of intense calm hit me through the bond.

"From her stories, I believed only your brother remained and he did not have any talent to speak of." I felt my self relax considerably with her words. "However, I wanted to be sure she was not forgetting anything or anyone so I used my glamour to probe her memory."

I was practically vibrating with tension as she paused in her story. The rest of my family was dead. I was sure of it. Who could she have possibly have found in Hadley's memory?

"Imagine my surprise when her memory revealed another telepath." Sophie smiled again and giggled. I really hated that giggle. "Of course, your dear cousin had to be punished for purposefully hiding the other one from me, but she now knows better than to hide something from me again. Am I right, Hadley?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Hadley whimpered while looking at the floor.

As mad as I was at her, I wanted to go to her and hold her. She looked broken and alone.

"So, I now have my own telepath." The Queen rose again from her chair and walked towards us until she was standing about six feet in front of us. "And this is where I require your services."

"Your Majesty?" Eric asked.

"My telepath is completely untrained." She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I want you to take him and train him. You have six months. By then, I will expect noticeable improvement in his ability so that he can assist with my meetings with humans. Until then, I expect Ms. Stackhouse to read my staff for any concerns once a month, and attend any important meetings I have with humans."

I could still feel caution through my bond with Eric as he responded coolly. "That sounds like a reasonable request, My Queen."

"I don't really care if it's reasonable, Northman." She snapped suddenly at him. "What I care about is having a trained telepath at my side."

"Of course, Your Majesty." He said with a slightly bowed head but I could feel his rising anger.

Personally, I was only listening partially to the discussion around me. I was preoccupied with going through what I knew of the Stackhouse family tree so I could try to figure out who the other telepath was, but I just couldn't figure it out. How would Hadley know of someone else in the family with telepathy when I didn't?

"Good." Sophie Ann replied to Eric before nodding to someone over our shoulders. I heard the door start to open as she raised a hand to gesture behind us. "I'd like you to meet my new telepath."

Eric and I turned around and my jaw dropped open while the rest of me was frozen in place.

Standing in front of us was a small, brown haired little boy. He was wearing jeans and a dinosaur t-shirt while holding onto a small stuffed T-rex with a death grip around its neck.

He couldn't have been over six years old.

If I'd been human, my heart would have been pounding. As it was, I was certain it was breaking and I could feel my eyes pooling with blood.

The Queen walked around us and placed a hand on the little boy's shoulder as she smiled brightly at us.

"This is your new charge, Hunter Savoy." She paused and her eyes twinkled evilly. "My Hadley's son."

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A/N: Please review and tell me what you think about this development. I'm nervous about what you all will think. Also, in your review, feel free to leave any questions about the situation that come to mind. They will more than likely already be in the next couple of chapters, but I want to make sure I cover all the major questions burning in your minds.

Love you all. Thanks for reading!


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